politics
White House report criticizes Smithsonian exhibits on U.S. history
A new White House report states that Smithsonian museums receive more than 60 percent of their funding from taxpayers yet present exhibits that emphasize connections to slavery and question the role of Christianity. The report also notes limited coverage of figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
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A White House report released this week examines the content of Smithsonian Institution museums and their use of public funds. The document states that more than 60 percent of Smithsonian funding comes from taxpayers while finding that many exhibits focus on historical figures' links to slavery and present Christianity mainly as a tool of conquest.
The report cites examples including prompts asking visitors to speculate whether Benjamin Franklin's electrical experiments involved enslaved people, despite a lack of supporting evidence. It also notes the absence of dedicated exhibits on George Washington and Thomas Jefferson at the National Museum of American History.
Exhibit framing and leadership language Materials at the National Portrait Gallery include separate explanatory panels on subjects' connections to slavery, according to the report. The document quotes language from a Smithsonian official describing personal background in terms of "whiteness" and "bourgeoisie," characterizing the phrasing as reflecting a Marxist perspective.
" The report links such statements to decisions about how history is presented to visitors.
Broader concerns at historic sites The White House document extends its review beyond Smithsonian properties to other federally supported historic locations. It references changes at James Madison's Montpelier estate, where interpretive materials have been revised to emphasize narratives of oppression.
A Heritage Foundation review of multiple sites is cited as documenting similar shifts in emphasis at museums and historic homes nationwide. The report concludes that these changes affect how visitors encounter accounts of the nation's founding figures and major events.
