Day at the Museum: The Smithsonian

At school the Physics teacher Mr Mathews had the boys come up one at a time, and put our head next to the big metallic dome, and everyone laughed when the spark jumped from the dome to the head of the boy, making him jump back.  The original Van de Graaf generator, made by Mr Van de Graaf himself is on display in the Smithsonian Museum of American History; so is the robot suit worn by the actor who played C3PO in Star Wars, Dorothy's red shoes, Lincoln's top hat, and the original Star Spangled Banner.  It is a huge flag, 34 foot by 40 foot.

All American!

Then there is the exhibition "Communities in a Changing Nation", telling the story of America's communities, the promise of freedom, the expansion west, immigration, and slavery.  The war about free trade against the British in 1812 (when the president's house was burnt by the British - actually someone from Rostrevor in NI did it - and it had to be repainted white to cover the burn marks!).

The whole exhibition culminates in a photographic exhibition on the Inauguration Day - smiley happy faces all round.  Norman told us that African American's were crying in the streets on that day.  Is it that,  as Martin Luther King said we " .... will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at Last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"?

A replica 19th Century poster catches my eye - 

"Natives of the soil! 

Arise!  

The watchword of Native Americans! 

Repel the influx of Foreign influence".  

But it is not about the American Native (Indians), but about those already arrived but who were against further immigration.

In fact only one Native American features in this exhibition - a Shawnee Chief who fought for the British in the war of 1812.