Engaging America: Let the Campaign Begin
Soon after Lawrence M. Small became the Smithsonian Institution's eleventh secretary in January 2000, he identified the National Museum of American History as the essential connecting point between the Smithsonian and the American public. This is the only national museum that relates the story of America—a story of opportunity, innovation, achievement, and vitality. Our challenge is to tell that story powerfully and effectively, and to engage millions of people in their story.

Beyond the Mall: National Outreach
As the only national museum of American history in the country, it is our goal to give all Americans the opportunity to discover their cultural, historical, and scientific heritage and to consider what being an American means to them and thereby explore their own American identities. We work to achieve this goal outside our Museum walls, as well as within them. We are reaching out electronically through the Internet and physically through facilities in other communities. In so doing, we are helping to fulfill the vision of Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small to engage new segments of the population and become a visible, active, constructive force in communities all over America.

Making the Inventive Experience a Reality in America
As one of America's most prolific and versatile inventors, Jerome Lemelson (1923-1997) was granted more than 500 patents during his lifetime and has numerous others still pending. His perpetual creativity touched everything from the technology of camcorders and cordless phones to toys. In fact, many of his ideas were playful in nature—his earliest patent was for a propeller cap. This sense of play came to the forefront of the Lemelson Center's 1999-2000 activities.

The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden
Appropriately marking the first presidency of the new millennium, the Museum publicly inaugurated an expansive historical exhibition on November 15, 2000. The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden breaks ground in its focus, scope, and execution. According to Museum Director Dr. Spencer Crew, "In many ways, this show provides a model for shows that follow."