Smithsonian Opens “Americans at War” Exhibit
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James Joyner | Thursday, November 11, 2004 |
Our Wars (Thomas Ricks, WaPo)
Showing unusual courage, the Smithsonian has charged onto the controversial battleground of America’s wars — and generally done well. The National Museum of American History exhibition opening today to mark Veterans Day is the first overview of U.S. military history the Smithsonian has ever mounted. Indeed, the museum says, it is “the most comprehensive exhibition of military conflicts in American history.” Some might be put off by the loaded title, “The Price of Freedom: Americans at War.” But behind that red-state rubric is a well-balanced show, with enough combat gear to please the warriors, enough emphasis on casualties and Indians and blacks and women to comfort the loyal opposition, and enough balance to satisfy most historians.
Unfortunately, politics seems inextricable from history these days. All new Smithsonian exhibits are plagued with this sort of controversy. Reading the rest of the piece, though, it sounds like they’ve generally done a good job with this. Definitely a must-see if you’re ever in the neighborhood.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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