ON SPECIAL EXHIBIT
The Story of US: America at 250
Opening April 20, 2026
As America approaches its 250th birthday, The Story of US: America at 250 explores the ideals, conflicts and turning points that shaped the nation.
Featuring historic documents on loan from the National Archives—many seldom seen outside Washington, D.C.—the exhibition traces how America’s founding principles have been tested, challenged and expanded over 250 years. Paired with artifacts and images from the Truman Library’s collections, these landmark records reveal democracy in action, illuminated by the voice and values of President Harry S. Truman.
FOR A LIMITED TIME, the National Archives is opening its vault to share rare and historic documents from the nation’s collection. Traveling from Washington, D.C. to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum, these original records will be on view April 20 through May 26.
Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782)
See the first vision for America’s iconic emblem—rich with symbolism and a newly born nation’s identity.
Treaty of Paris (Broadside) (1783)
Celebrate the birth of a nation—this 1783 treaty officially ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence.
Bill of Rights (Senate Revisions) (1789)
Explore how America’s core freedoms were debated and refined—see the Senate’s early edits to the foundational amendments that define our liberties.
Louisiana Purchase (1803)
Discover how a single purchase doubled the size of the young United States—opening a vast frontier and a new era of expansion.
Missouri Compromise (1820)
One of the earliest attempts to balance free and slave states—this fragile agreement foreshadowed the sectional conflict to come.
Compromise of 1850
Efforts to ease tensions between free and slave states, addressing the status of territories acquired after the Mexican-American War and attempting to preserve the Union.
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
A controversial law that reopened the slavery debate—this act unraveled earlier compromises and stoked national tensions.
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
See the Supreme Court decision that denied citizenship to African Americans—fueling outrage and bringing the nation closer to civil war.
Telegram Announcing the Surrender of Fort Sumter (1861)
Relive the moment that ignited the Civil War—this telegram signaled the fall of Fort Sumter and the start of a national reckoning.
Joint Resolution Proposing the Thirteenth Amendment (1865)
Behold the beginning of freedom for millions: the official resolution to abolish slavery in the United States.
Judgment in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Examine the infamous ruling that upheld racial segregation—setting the stage for decades of systemic inequality.
President Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points (1918)
Read the blueprint for a new world order after WWI, laying the groundwork for the League of Nations and future diplomacy.
Manhattan Project Notebook (1942)
Peek into the pages where science changed history—handwritten notes from the project that created the atomic bomb.
Surrender of Germany (1945)
Mark the end of World War II in Europe—this document sealed Nazi Germany’s defeat and victory for the Allies.
Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of Armed Forces (1948)
President Truman’s bold directive ended racial segregation in the military—paving the way for civil rights progress nationwide.
North Atlantic Treaty (1949)
Explore the founding document of NATO, the military alliance that reshaped global security in the aftermath of World War II.
Armistice Agreement for the Restoration of the South Korean State (1953)
Witness the pivotal document that paused the Korean War in 1953, shaping modern geopolitics and solidifying America’s role in East Asian peacekeeping.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
View the Supreme Court ruling that struck down “separate but equal,” catalyzing the modern civil rights movement.
Executive Order 10730: Desegregation of Central High School (1957)
Experience the power of presidential authority as Eisenhower sends troops to enforce desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
One of the most impactful laws in American history—this act enforced the right to vote and dismantled barriers to democracy.
Joint Resolution Proposing the Twenty-Sixth Amendment (1971)
See democracy evolve with the amendment that lowered the voting age to 18, driven by youth activism during the Vietnam War era.
This is a “once-in-a-lifetime encounter with more than two dozen of the most important, most revealing, most consequential documents in U.S. history. The same pages you’ll see at the Truman Library once crossed the desks of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln. The story feels alive in their presence.”
–David Von Drehle
Award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author
SUPPORT
The Story of US: America at 250 is made possible, in part, by these generous underwriters:
William T. Kemper Foundation – Commerce Bank, Trustee
Mary Kay and Brad Speaks
Missouri Humanities and the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund
JE Dunn Construction
Mary and R. James Stilley, Jr.
Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts – Commerce Bank, Trustee