Civic season poster

Civic Season

Join the Civic Season, Juneteenth (June 19)–July 4 

The National Museum of American History is a founding member of Made By Us, an unparalleled collaboration of historic sites and museums joining forces to inform civic engagement as we look toward the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.

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The Fourth of July commemorates the moment when a new generation boldly articulated the values of a new nation: freedom, equality, justice, rights, and opportunity. Juneteenth reminds us that people in the United States have fought to make those values a reality for hundreds of years, and we still have work to do. This tension between our nation’s promises and practices calls us all to dig deeper into our traditions, history, and role in forming “a more perfect union” in the future.   

Today, amid a groundswell of interest in the future of the United States, how might we imagine a new kind of tradition that goes beyond hot dogs and fireworks?

An annual Civic Season, beginning on Juneteenth (June 19) and culminating on Independence Day (July 4), will connect Americans nationwide with ways to explore our complex past, take action in the present, and shape the future. 

Explore the following civic actions and activities: 

As the home of the Star-Spangled Banner, the actual flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen what would become the national anthem, the museum will kick of Civic Season on Flag Day, June 14 by hosting a citizenship ceremony. This will be a special ceremony, in partnership with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, to mark the conveying of citizenship to 25 children. The museum will also host 50 table-top displays created by middle- and high-school students from across the country competing in the 2023 National History Day National Contest. The exhibits represent topics relevant to their state/territory and local communities and reflect the 2023 theme of “Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas.”

The Civic Season is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Andrew Mellon Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, and AMERICAN HERITAGE Chocolate.

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Related Links:

Smithsonian Magazine: “Why History Museums Are Convening a ‘Civic Season’”