A Smithsonian Institution exhibit designed for America's 250th anniversary includes roughly three times as many objects tied to liberal causes as to conservative ones, according to a review of the museum's online catalog, a balance that could deepen Republican scrutiny of how the institution tells the nation's story.
The exhibit, «In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness», was created to display 250 objects spanning American history from the 1700s to the present. The catalog review found nearly two dozen items connected to movements such as LGBT rights, racial justice, abortion access, organized labor, environmentalism and Democratic politics, compared with about seven items representing conservative causes.
Among the historically significant pieces are a compass from the 1806 Lewis and Clark expedition, a dress belonging to Dolley Madison, Abraham Lincoln's hat and the desk on which the Declaration of Independence was written. The catalog also lists objects with clear ties to modern liberal activism, including a pink «pussy hat» worn at the 2017 Women's March, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's gavel, monarch butterfly wings worn by an undocumented immigrant activist and a typewriter owned by writer Maya Angelou. Next to Angelou's typewriter, the museum displays a picture of a 1970s drag queen «wearing an off-the-shoulder shimmery gown», according to the exhibit's visual description.
Conservative causes receive far less representation in the catalog. The seven conservative items identified are a MAGA hat, a Tea Party placard, a pro-life sign, a dress worn by Melania Trump, a sign opposing the Equal Rights Amendment, a Ronald Reagan campaign T-shirt and a National Rifle Association button.
Religious representation in the exhibit also drew attention. The museum selected six items to represent Christianity, including a Bible and objects from churches, while the gay rights movement received four items. Christianity was historically America's dominant faith, though its influence has declined in recent decades. One artifact, a pew from a Black Presbyterian church, is accompanied by a description of its pastor's racial activism, and the Bible on display is described in connection with its owner's anti-slavery sentiments. Other faiths are represented as well, including Judaism through a Seder plate and a Hanukkah lamp, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through a plate depicting one of its temples.
Among the LGBTQ-related artifacts is a red tie that belonged to Carmen Vázquez, a lesbian activist born in Puerto Rico who grew up in New York City. The catalog notes that she called the tie her «seduction necktie» and describes her years of work on immigrant rights, women's health and LGBTQ causes, stating that her «endless energy for LGBTQ+ rights and justice for all» helped ensure that countless people across the United States could thrive.
Immigration is another area where the catalog tilts toward recent history. Nearly two dozen items relate to recent waves of Asian and Latino immigration, while earlier migrant groups such as the Irish, French and Italians received one entry each. One display features a soccer ball donated by the founder of the Fugees soccer team for refugee children in Clarkston, Georgia, with a description of how the group «overcame anti-immigrant backlash».
The item selections are drawing scrutiny as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans challenge the Smithsonian's portrayal of American history around the 250th anniversary. Trump has ordered signs to be placed outside Smithsonian museums amid the dispute. The Smithsonian did not respond to a request for comment.
Anthea Hartig, director of the National Museum of American History, offered some insight into the curators' approach. «How do you structure a commemoration, celebration and time for reflection?» she asked. «What we landed on were those moments where individuals or communities had fought for recognition and advocated for their own sense of identity.»
