Government, Politics, and Reform - Overview
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln are all represented in the Museum's collections—by a surveying compass, a lap desk, and a top hat, among other artifacts. But the roughly 100,000 objects in this collection reach beyond the possessions of statesmen to touch the broader political life of the nation—in election campaigns, the women's suffrage movement, labor activity, civil rights, and many other areas. Campaign objects make up much of the collection, including posters, novelties, ballots, voting machines, and many others. A second group includes general political history artifacts, such as first ladies' clothing and accessories, diplomatic materials, ceremonial objects, national symbols, and paintings and sculptures of political figures. The third main area focuses on artifacts related to political reform movements, from labor unions to antiwar groups.
"Government, Politics, and Reform - Overview" showing 4 items.
Urban Ecology Button
- Description
- Ecology is a branch of science dealing with the relationships of organisms within an environment. Urban ecology is the study of how organisms coexist in a hard-landscape urban area. This button showing a dead bird in the city is a satirical example of how ecosystems cannot coexist without a balanced relationship.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1970s
- ID Number
- 1996.0130.35
- catalog number
- 1996.0130.35
- accession number
- 1996.0130
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Environmental Button
- Description
- Some environmental campaigns sought to change the behavior of government agencies. As the world’s largest public engineering, design, and construction agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attracted broad-based criticism in the 1960s and thereafter for its aggressive program of dams and channel building. River advocates in particular were urged to “Keep Busy Fighting the Corps.”
- maker
- Rivercity Art
- ID Number
- 2003.0014.0636
- accession number
- 2003.0014
- catalog number
- 2003.0014.0636
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Environmental Button
- Description
- The “Dirty Dozen” refered to on this button is a list of legislators who were seen as being unsympathetic to environmental causes. The list was developed by the League of Conservation Voters and Environmental Action in the 1970s.
- Political activism continues to be an important element of the environmental movement. This button illustrates one approach, to oppose political candidates with poor environmental records.
- ID Number
- 2003.0014.1502
- accession number
- 2003.0014
- catalog number
- 2003.0014.1502
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Environmental Button
- Description
- The slogan on this button refers to James G. Watt, who was named Secretary of the Interior by President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Due to controversial positions regarding the commercial development of federal lands, environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, and Friends of the Earth criticized Watt during his tenure and called for his ouster. Watt resigned in 1983 after making inappropriate comments before Congress regarding the makeup of his department.
- date made
- 1981-1983
- ID Number
- 2003.0014.1528
- accession number
- 2003.0014
- catalog number
- 2003.0014.1528
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center