The American Experiment: Pursuing Our Promise

Through an exceptional partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration and the Briscoe Center for American History, the Library will showcase extraordinary original documents that have shaped the course of American history. Across four rotating exhibitions, visitors will encounter defining moments—from the Brown v. Board of Education decision and the Fourteenth Amendment to the Louisiana Purchase and the Wright Brothers’ Flying Machine Patent.

 

On view from June through January, this once-in-a-lifetime experience pairs these iconic artifacts with dynamic public programs featuring leading historians, authors, and thought leaders. Together, they explore how the American story has unfolded over 250 years—and where it may go next.