SAVING AMERICA’S STORY - How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution ’s NationalMuseum of American History Erases Our Heritage - Report

Aug 27, 2026

Uploaded by Theodora

This report argues that the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) fails its foundational mission by adopting an ideological framework that undermines honest, shared public understanding of U.S. heritage. It contrasts the museum’s original purpose—patriotic education anchored in artifacts and civic instruction—with current leadership statements linking history to “social justice,” activism, and advocacy. The document contends that this shift turns historical scholarship into political activism, discouraging citizens rather than illuminating the nation’s origins, struggles, and freedoms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages162

Reading Time6 h 48 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Founding Purpose and Early Congressional Justifications

Museum Mission Shift from History to Activism

Leadership Statements and Ideological Reframing

Central Question: What a National Museum Should Do

SAVING AMERICA’S STORY How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution ’s NationalMuseum of American History Erases Our Heritage Report by the Domestic Policy Council following President Trump’s March 27, 2026, Executive Order 14253 (“Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”), and the ongoing review of the Smithsonian Institution Executive Summary The Smithsonian Institution is one of the Nation’s greatest civic treasures: a place where parents bring their children and tourists from across the country and around the world come to learn about America. At the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH), visitors young and old should encounter the story of the United States told with honesty, seriousness, and pride. In particular, it should help the American people understand where America came from, what makes it distinctive, and why it is worth preserving. In making their case to Congress in 1953, Smithsonian leadership argued that one of the “main reasons” NMAH should be created is “[t]o place before millions who visit the Nation’s Capital each year a stimulating permanent exposition that commemorates our heritage of freedom and highlights the basic elements of our way of life.”1 In 1955, then-Smithsonian Secretary Leon Carmichael testified to Congress that, if authorized, the Museum would “tell the story of American national progress” and “cement America’s progress for citizen and foreign visitors alike.”2 As he put it,“The museum we envision is planned to instill in each citizen a deepened faith in our country’s destiny as champion of individual dignity and enterprise. Equally, it is conceived to instill in each foreign visitor admiration and respect for our ever-expanding social and technological horizons.”3 Two months later, based on that promise, Congress authorized the Museum’s construction and allocated $36 million to cover the costs.4 Then-Director of the U.S. National Museum, Remington Kellogg, noted at the Museum’s opening in 1964 that the new museum was intended “to awaken in citizen and foreigner alike a clear understanding of the inspiring story of the United States—its origins, struggles, development, traditions, strength.”5 One NMAH curator who worked at the Museum for nearly four decades before retiring in 2016 noted that the Museum’s founding goal “was more than simply the increase and diffusion of general knowledge”; NMAH was intended to be “proudly patriotic.”6 Speaking at the Museum’s dedication ceremony in January 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson explained his hope and belief that the Museum’s “iconic artifacts should be used to foster patriotism.”7 He stated: I would hope that there will come to this building the children of the nation. For here is recorded, as William Faulkner expressed it, the agony and the sweat of the human spirit, the victory of freedom and genius of our country. Here, young children see, with their own eyes, yes, even to touch with their own hands, the ripe fruit of America’s historical harvest. Whitney’s cotton gin, Singer’s sewing machine, McCormick’s reaper, Edison’s phonograph, Bell’s telephone—they are all here, a part of this treasure-house of our inheritance. The more we understand the meaning of the past, the more we appreciate the winning of the future. If this Museum did nothing more than illuminate our heritage so that others could see a little better our legacy, however so small the glimpse, it would fulfill a noble purpose.8 This report by the Domestic Policy Council demonstrates that NMAH fails in the basic task of illuminating our heritage. Our central finding is not that the Museum has simply added overlooked stories, corrected perceived errors, or broadened its historical scope. Rather, it is that Museum leadership has explicitly adopted an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as a shared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as a political instrument to divide, dispirit

FAQs

What is the report’s central finding about the NMAH mission?

The report argues that NMAH leadership has adopted an ideological framework that treats the American story as a political instrument rather than a shared inheritance for education and celebration.

How does the report describe the museum’s founding goals?

It highlights claims from 1953–1964 that NMAH would use exhibitions to commemorate heritage, foster patriotism, and help citizens and visitors understand the United States’ origins, struggles, and development.

What leadership perspectives does the report cite to support its criticism?

The report points to museum leadership statements framing history as a tool for social justice and connecting research to activism and advocacy, including efforts to reframe traditional celebratory narratives.

Aug 27, 2026

Uploaded by Theodora