Government, Politics, and Reform

March on Washington Handbill

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.

Place: California

Commander Stassen speaking at a public session

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1944-1945
ID Number
2013.0327.1158
accession number
2013.0327
catalog number
2013.0327.1158

Poster, "A Voter's Bill of Rights", 2014

A poster with the State of California's "Voter's Bill of Rights"Currently not on view
Description
A poster with the State of California's "Voter's Bill of Rights"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 2014
associated date
2014
ID Number
2016.0023.01
catalog number
2016.0023.01
accession number
2016.0023

"Migrant Mother," by Dorothea Lange

During the Great Depression, government photographer Dorothea Lange took this picture at a migrant farmworkers' camp near Nipomo, California. Lange's brief caption recorded her impressions of the family's plight: "Destitute pea pickers ...
Description
During the Great Depression, government photographer Dorothea Lange took this picture at a migrant farmworkers' camp near Nipomo, California. Lange's brief caption recorded her impressions of the family's plight: "Destitute pea pickers ... a 32-year-old mother of seven children."
First published in a San Francisco newspaper, this poignant image became one of the most famous photographs of the Depression era, emblematic of the hardships suffered by poor migrant families. The "migrant mother," anonymous for many years, was later identified as Oklahoma native Florence Thompson.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1936
maker
Lange, Dorothea
ID Number
1983.0069.07
accession number
1983.0069
catalog number
83.69.7

Milton Friedman's Briefcase

This briefcase was used by economist Milton Friedman, recipient of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences “for his achievements in the fields of consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and for his demonstration of the complexity of stabilization policy.” President Ro
Description
This briefcase was used by economist Milton Friedman, recipient of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences “for his achievements in the fields of consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and for his demonstration of the complexity of stabilization policy.” President Ronald Reagan based much of his economic policy during the 1980s on Friedman’s economic arguments. Friedman taught at the University of Chicago for over thirty years and advised many politicians. The Economist considered him “the most influential economist of the second half of the 20th century.”
date made
2004
1994 - 2004
user
Friedman, Milton
ID Number
2001.0072.01
accession number
2001.0072
catalog number
2001.0072.01

Milton Friedman Nobel Prize ID Badge

This badge was worn by economist Milton Friedman when he received the 1976 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
Description
This badge was worn by economist Milton Friedman when he received the 1976 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.
date made
1976
user
Friedman, Milton
ID Number
2001.0072.05
accession number
2001.0072
catalog number
2001.0072.05

Falsified passport, 1990s

This Thai passport was seized in the well-publicized 1995 El Monte, Calif., sweatshop raid.
Description
This Thai passport was seized in the well-publicized 1995 El Monte, Calif., sweatshop raid. The passport is part of a larger Smithsonian collection of artifacts documenting apparel industry sweatshops, focusing on the El Monte operation (72 workers were discovered working as slaves). With a legitimate U.S. visa, the passport looks official. In fact, the El Monte operators doctored a real passport, inserting a new photo into someone else's document, in order to smuggle workers into the country.
Recruited from Thailand, the El Monte workers were tricked into accepting employment by misrepresentations of their future working and living conditions. They were told they would sew in a clean factory, receive good pay, and have the weekends off. They were even shown photographs of company parties and outings to Disneyland. After signing contracts (indenture agreements) committing themselves to repay 120,000 baht (about $5,000 in 1997 dollars), they were smuggled into the United States on fraudulent passports.
On arrival, the sweatshop operators confiscated the passports and the workers were forced to sew 18 hours a day seven days a week. The debt, a guard force, and threats of physical harm to the workers and their families in Thailand discouraged them from escaping. Although the physical confinement of the work force was unusual, many aspects of the business, such as recruiting and smuggling workers, are relatively common. Less enslaving forms of debt peonage occur surprisingly often in some Asian immigrant communities.
Sweatshops occur in many sectors of manufacturing, but are most often associated with the garment industry. While garments are designed and marketed through big name companies, assembly is often left to contract and sub-contract operations. In these small shops, where profits are razor thin and competition is excessive, abuses are rampant.
date made
1992
ID Number
1997.0268.01
accession number
1997.0268
catalog number
1997.0268.01

Commander Stassen greeted after delivering speech

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1944-1945
ID Number
2013.0327.1157
accession number
2013.0327
catalog number
2013.0327.1157

Vyacheslav Molotov and Harold E. Stassen

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1944-1945
ID Number
2013.0327.1156
accession number
2013.0327
catalog number
2013.0327.1156

Watch, Spiro Agnew, 1970

Spiro Agnew was Richard Nixon’s running mate in 1968 and 1972. Hale E.
Description
Spiro Agnew was Richard Nixon’s running mate in 1968 and 1972. Hale E. Dougherty designed the original Spiro Agnew wristwatch in response to a common joke on college campuses in the early 1970s: “Did you know that Mickey Mouse wore a Spiro Agnew watch?” First manufactured by the Dirty Time Company, the popularity of the watch led to production of a number of knockoffs. Vice President Agnew initially liked the watch but, as it became known more as a joke than as a sign of support, he sued to prevent its sale. The case was settled out of court.
referenced
Agnew, Spiro T.
ID Number
PL.291792.01
catalog number
291792.01
accession number
291792

Woman Suffrage Postcard

To the tune of the "Star Spangled Banner", this postcard celebrates the first five states to grant full suffrage: Wyoming (1869), Colorado (1893), Utah (1896), Idaho (1896), and Washington (1910). At the same time it looks forward to a coming (successful) vote in California.
Description
To the tune of the "Star Spangled Banner", this postcard celebrates the first five states to grant full suffrage: Wyoming (1869), Colorado (1893), Utah (1896), Idaho (1896), and Washington (1910). At the same time it looks forward to a coming (successful) vote in California. California granted woman suffrage in 1911.
The National American Woman Suffrage Association began a postcard campaign in 1910, partly to raise awareness of the cause and partly as a fundraiser. The cards could be funny, serious, or sentimental. Some employed powerful patriotic symbols and logical arguments to make their case for woman’s right to vote.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
PL.257500.17
catalog number
257500.17
accession number
257500

Votes For Women

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
circa 1910
ID Number
PL.242991.043

Join the Boycott - Don't Buy Gallo Wines

A poster advertising the boycott of wines made in Modesto, California along with any non United Farm Workers lettuce and grapes.Currently not on view
Description
A poster advertising the boycott of wines made in Modesto, California along with any non United Farm Workers lettuce and grapes.
Location
Currently not on view
associated person
Chavez, Cesar
associated institution
United Farm Workers
ID Number
PL.321648.29
catalog number
321648.29
accession number
321648

El Popo

date made
1971 circa
referenced
Raza Unida Party
ID Number
PL.319022.50
accession number
319022
catalog number
319022.50

Huelga / No Violencia / En Salinas

Poster referring to a lettuce growers strike in Salinas Valley, California in 1970-1971.Currently not on view
Description
Poster referring to a lettuce growers strike in Salinas Valley, California in 1970-1971.
Location
Currently not on view
associated institution; direct
United Farm Workers
ID Number
PL.296849.31
catalog number
296849.31
accession number
296849

Bridge Over Troubled Waters

A poster with lyrics from the Simon and Garfunkle song, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" The poster states that Paul Simon will help spread the word about the cause of the Farm Workers.Currently not on view
Description
A poster with lyrics from the Simon and Garfunkle song, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" The poster states that Paul Simon will help spread the word about the cause of the Farm Workers.
Location
Currently not on view
quoted
Chavez, Cesar
Simon, Paul
affiliated union; direct
United Farm Workers
Associated Name
Simon, Paul
United Farm Workers
ID Number
PL.296849.33
catalog number
296849.33
accession number
296849

United Farmworkers Poster

Cesar Estrada Chavez, the founder of the United Farm Workers of America, is one of the most recognized Latino civil rights leaders in the United States. A Mexican American born in Yuma, Arizona, his family lost their small farm in the Great Depression (1930s).
Description
Cesar Estrada Chavez, the founder of the United Farm Workers of America, is one of the most recognized Latino civil rights leaders in the United States. A Mexican American born in Yuma, Arizona, his family lost their small farm in the Great Depression (1930s). Like many Americans, they joined the migration to California and worked for low wages in its great agricultural fields. The agricultural industry in the West was a modern, market-driven phenomenon. In 1965, the United Farm Workers of America, led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, began its five-year Delano grape strike against area grape growers for equal wages for foreign workers. Filipino and Mexican Americans who labored in California vineyards were suddenly visible in the eyes of American consumers. The movement to boycott table grapes mobilized students and educated consumers across America. The text on this poster, printed around 1970, describes Chavez's vision of political and economic emancipation for farm workers. La Causa, or The Cause, as it was known among Mexican Americans, was the political and artistic touchstone of the Chicano movement.
Description (Spanish)
César Estrada Chávez, fundador del Sindicato de los Trabajadores Agrícolas de América (UFW, por sus siglas en inglés) es uno de los líderes más reconocidos de los derechos civiles de los latinos en Estados Unidos. Mexicoamericano, nacido en Yuma, Arizona, la familia perdió su pequeña granja durante la Gran Depresión (década de 1930). Al igual que muchos americanos, emigró hacia California para trabajar en los grandes campos agrícolas por un sueldo mínimo. La industria agrícola en el oeste era un fenómeno moderno, regido por el mercado. En 1965, el Sindicato de Trabajadores Agrícolas, conducido por César Chávez y Dolores Huerta, inició la huelga de la uva de Delano, la cual se prolongó durante cinco años, contra los productores de uva en pro de los derechos de paga de los trabajadores migratorios. Como consecuencia, los filipinos y mexicanoamericanos que trabajaban en los viñedos de California adquirieron una repentina presencia ante los ojos de los consumidores americanos. El movimiento de boicot a la producción de uva fresca movilizó a estudiantes y consumidores en toda América. El texto que se observa en este póster, impreso alrededor de 1970, describe la visión política de Chávez acerca de la emancipación política y económica de los trabajadores agrícolas. La Causa, como se la conocía entre los mexicoamericanos, era el pedernal político y artístico del movimiento chicano.
Location
Currently not on view
depicted (sitter)
Chavez, Cesar
associated; direct
United Farm Workers
maker
Lithographers and Photoengravers International Union
ID Number
PL.296849.35
catalog number
296849.35
accession number
296849

Booklet, "Second Report Un-American Activities in California 1945" Report of the Joint Fact-Finding Committee to the Fifty-fifth California Legislature, Sacramento, 1945

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1945
ID Number
2016.3086.244
nonaccession number
2016.3086
catalog number
2016.3086.244

Viva Las Mujeres

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1977
associated date
1977
ID Number
1978.0472.03.a
accession number
1978.0472
catalog number
1978.0472.03.a

Poster, "Secure Our Borders Now!"

This poster, critical of immigration policy, was used at the Tea Party rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2010.
Description
This poster, critical of immigration policy, was used at the Tea Party rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on April 15, 2010.
date made
2010-04-15
04-15-2010
used date
2010-04-15
user
Tea Party Patriots Inc.
referenced
Congress of the United States
Immigration and Naturalization Service
State of California
State of New Mexico
Republic of Texas
maker
Tea Party Patriots Inc.
ID Number
2010.0068.03
catalog number
2010.0068.03
accession number
2010.0068

Poster, "Listen Up!", 1996

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1996
maker
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote
ID Number
2007.0195.01
catalog number
2007.0195.01
accession number
2007.0195

Typewriter belonging to Lawrence Ferlinghetti

San Francisco poet, artist, and publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti was an influential figure of the 1950s Beat Generation and the social revolution of the 1960s. In 1956 he was arrested and tried on obscenity charges for publishing and selling Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl.
Description
San Francisco poet, artist, and publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti was an influential figure of the 1950s Beat Generation and the social revolution of the 1960s. In 1956 he was arrested and tried on obscenity charges for publishing and selling Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl. This landmark case established a key legal precedent for the publication of controversial literary pieces. His victory expanded the right to free speech and opened the way for an explosion of new works that tested the boundaries of literary expression.
referenced
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence
maker
Remington Typewriter Company
Remington Typewriter Company
ID Number
2011.0054.01
accession number
2011.0054
catalog number
2011.0054.01

Birthplace of Richard Nixon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
referenced
Nixon, Richard M.
maker
Columbia Wholesale Supply
ID Number
2006.0171.01
accession number
2006.0171
catalog number
20006.0171.01

poster

date made
c 2014-11-04
Associated Date
c 2014-11-04
maker
unknown
ID Number
2017.3059.03
catalog number
2017.3059.03
nonaccession number
2017.3059

photograph, polaroid

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 1990
maker
Polaroid Corporation
ID Number
2018.0157.01
accession number
2018.0157
catalog number
2018.0157.01

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