FOREWORD

JOHN L. GRAY

Director, National Museum of American History

OF THE ENDURING IDEALS THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED IN our ongoing journey to create a more perfect union, two words, American democracy, are at the center of every discussion of what it means to be an American.

We use our history to shed light on the development of a distinctive democracy—one that emerged from a bold and radical experiment and “a great leap of faith” to put aside a king and a hereditary aristocracy. The National Museum of American History invites and encourages our millions of visitors to participate in the broadest and most engaged ways in order to foster a vibrant American democracy. Yet how does our history inform today’s contentious political climate, and how can we come together as a people?

American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith and the National Museum of American History’s eponymous exhibition address some of the most pressing questions that affect the American people today. The museum is dedicated to sharing its collection of national treasures to ensure that American history is accessible and vital. Our mission is to help people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future.

So we find no more important calling than to encourage the fullest participation in our democracy—an essential driver of an inclusive future that values every American. We thank our colleagues from across the Smithsonian Institution, whose collective impact as the nation’s leading research and museum complex is revealed in projects such as this. And we are grateful to the contributors from leading institutions across our nation for offering their voices and insights.

We invite you to join us in our exploration of American democracy, an unfinished project that beckons every American to continue to build our nation together.