The National Museum of American History’s walk through war
October 2016
The National Museum of American History is host to an exhibit called "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War." The exhibit is curated to track America’s history in warfare, ranging from the colonies’ fight for independence all the way up to today’s conflict in the Middle East. The exhibit consists of a wide variety of artifacts from the wars that the United States has been involved in, as well as videos and audio clips, some authentic and others fictitious, to give the audience a deeper understanding of what the wars must have been like. Ultimately, the "Price of Freedom" exhibit is intended to educate a visitor about what each war was like, regarding who was involved and how each conflict has left an impact on the United States.
History classes ranging from elementary school to university discuss the United States’ track record in wars around the world, but what textbooks cannot always do is represent the sides of everyone involved in war. Sure, there is always the predominant conflict of one side versus the other, but there are other parties involved who are not always accounted for. In the "Price of Freedom" exhibit, there were artifacts that provided information about the groups of people who do not normally get discussed in a textbook, such as spies, slaves, nurses, children, prisoners of war, journalists, and even the soldiers themselves. The exhibit gave personal accounts of the many people who contribute to a war effort. With the Civil War, the exhibit gave a description of Confederate spies, which I have never received insight into from a textbook. Such spies were mostly women, who either used their charms on government or military officials or simply eavesdropped on conversations in order to obtain information. Even when spies were revealed, the exhibit stated that few would be imprisoned. This was shocking as such revelations do not normally result in non-punishments for people undercover. An enjoyable audio clip was of Eugenia Phillips, a spy for the South in Washington D.C. in 1861 which fictionally told of her account when her identity had been uncovered, which sounded like a riveting incident to have been a part of. Another predominant feature of this section of the exhibit focused on the slaves, where there were powerful images of slave families and the torture that they endured. There was even a photograph of a slave pen on Duke Street in Alexandria, Virginia, which was remarkable to see as it is so close to the area of where the National Museum of American History is located. This evidence was a physical reminder that such an evil and unjust act took place on the same grounds that people walk on today.
The World War II region of the exhibit showed that war requires the efforts of everyone in a country. There were compelling artifacts of propaganda encouraging all types of Americans to get involved in the fight for Democracy, such as rationing, buying war bonds, and getting women to either attend recruiting stations to join the service or working in factories to develop machinery for the soldiers. There was a section of musical entertainment, where musicians and entertainers such as Irving Berlin visited the troops overseas as a source of morale-boosting. There was even a timed rivet simulation where the “riveter” tried their hand at fastening pieces of metal together efficiently, emphasizing a quick work ethic but also attention to detail. The model was a blast to try out and it certainly made each participant aware of how crucial the female factory workers were to the United States’ success in Europe and abroad.
The Prisoner of War section regarding the Vietnam War was a lot less exciting, as it is not as enjoyable to be placed in the shoes of a soldier being held captive. The model showed a small room typical of containing a captured soldier, where he was engaged in code tapping on the wall of the cell. The provided information included a former POW who stated that tapping was not just for the exchange of information; it also passed humor, excitement, sadness, and other feelings through the wall. The visual provided visitors with an immense feeling of loneliness and despair, as it was a dark and cramped setting where survival did not seem much at all possible. On a bittersweet note in the Vietnam War section, there was a video clip of a head nurse who gave her account in Saigon when she found a newborn baby lying in the arms of her dead mother. The nurse, along with several soldiers, was able to rescue the baby and fly her back to America where she was eventually adopted. This video showed the emotional devastation of war while also noting how hard nurses work alongside the soldiers, and it left an older woman near me in tears when it showed the toddler at an older age being reunited with her rescuers. The section also featured an actual helicopter that the exhibit’s main page identifies as “a restored UH-1H Huey Helicopter, deployed in Vietnam in 1966” (“Price of Freedom”) which was astonishing to see in person. Physical artifacts such as the helicopter, George Washington’s sword and scabbard used during the Revolutionary War, and a flamethrower from World War II really brought the exhibit to life.
The National Museum of American History’s "Price of Freedom" exhibit felt like a tour of our nation’s conflicted past, as each war sat in its own section and overall contributed to what felt like a maze with how easy it was to get lost in such a network of historical episodes. There was not a specific audience that it intended to reach, as it was suited for all ages and all sorts of individuals from around the world who would like to learn more about the country’s past regarding conflicts, and those people certainly showed up. It was surprising to see so many visitors of different backgrounds at the exhibit on a chilly, rainy Saturday in Washington D.C. There was even a line outside of the museum to get in, and while visitors could have explored the various exhibits inside, I saw many of them at the "Price of Freedom" exhibition. Even though the curator most likely designed the exhibit for people of all backgrounds, the gift shop certainly was targeted for patriotic Americans, or at least people who were proud of America’s past, as it sold merchandise such as keychains, apparel, and books that were American themed. The exhibition is also available online for those who cannot make it to the museum, and while it does not have the same liveliness as the exhibit in DC does, it still gives someone a trip through the United States’ history of warfare. Overall, in today’s global society where terrorism and other acts of violence are a growing threat to world peace, this exhibit is a useful model that analyzes how wars involving the United States have impacted the country, and it would be interesting to see in a few decades if any more conflicts have been added to the exhibition.