The Promise of a Nation: Commemorating 250 Years of Patriotism, Resilience, and Aspirations from the National Collection
The Promise of a Nation: Commemorating 250 Years of Patriotism, Resilience, and Aspirations from the National Collection
    The Promise of a Nation: Commemorating 250 Years of Patriotism, Resilience, and Aspirations from the National Collection
The Promise of a Nation: Commemorating 250 Years of Patriotism, Resilience, and Aspirations from the National Collection

Product Details

Learn what makes this product unique and why it’s right for you.

Review Quotes:
BOOKLIST
"Recommended enthusiastically, this title will see heavy use in any browsing collection and will serve nicely on any home coffee table."

Reading Line:
Featuring 700 Objects from the National Collection

Biographical Note:
The SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION is the largest museum complex in the world, with an average of 30 million visits annually.

Publisher Marketing:
Celebrate 250 years of American history--and witness the nation's decade-by-decade evolution--in this gorgeously illustrated volume featuring more than 600 Smithsonian objects.

The 250th anniversary of the United States marks a major milestone, representing two-and-a-half centuries of upholding democracy, building communities, defining freedom, and working to become a more perfect union. In The Promise of a Nation, Smithsonian curators share aspirational stories that have shaped the nation in chapters representing each decade from the 1770s to the 2020s. Smithsonian objects help bring each decade to life and personalize the history, from George Washington's sword (1770s) to an African American volunteer fire company badge (1860s) to Marian Anderson's attire worn at her Lincoln Memorial concert (1930s) to Space Shuttle Discovery (1990s).

Each chapter begins with a timeline of major events and census data, followed by an essay that considers American history through a meaningful and often unexpected lens. Gorgeous full spreads feature spotlight objects that tell decade-specific stories and offer important insight into each decade and the American story.

The nation's semiquincentennial is an opportunity to reflect on the past with care and curiosity. The scope of American history is vast, but The Promise of a Nation distills it into compelling narratives that speak to the strength and aspirations of the American people and inspire optimism for what comes next.

Review Citations:

  • Booklist 05/01/2026 (EAN 9781588348098, Hardcover)
Learn what makes this product unique and why it’s right for you.

Review Quotes:
BOOKLIST
"Recommended enthusiastically, this title will see heavy use in any browsing collection and will serve nicely on any home coffee table."

Reading Line:
Featuring 700 Objects from the National Collection

Biographical Note:
The SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION is the largest museum complex in the world, with an average of 30 million visits annually.

Publisher Marketing:
Celebrate 250 years of American history--and witness the nation's decade-by-decade evolution--in this gorgeously illustrated volume featuring more than 600 Smithsonian objects.

The 250th anniversary of the United States marks a major milestone, representing two-and-a-half centuries of upholding democracy, building communities, defining freedom, and working to become a more perfect union. In The Promise of a Nation, Smithsonian curators share aspirational stories that have shaped the nation in chapters representing each decade from the 1770s to the 2020s. Smithsonian objects help bring each decade to life and personalize the history, from George Washington's sword (1770s) to an African American volunteer fire company badge (1860s) to Marian Anderson's attire worn at her Lincoln Memorial concert (1930s) to Space Shuttle Discovery (1990s).

Each chapter begins with a timeline of major events and census data, followed by an essay that considers American history through a meaningful and often unexpected lens. Gorgeous full spreads feature spotlight objects that tell decade-specific stories and offer important insight into each decade and the American story.

The nation's semiquincentennial is an opportunity to reflect on the past with care and curiosity. The scope of American history is vast, but The Promise of a Nation distills it into compelling narratives that speak to the strength and aspirations of the American people and inspire optimism for what comes next.

Review Citations:

  • Booklist 05/01/2026 (EAN 9781588348098, Hardcover)
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The Promise of a Nation: Commemorating 250 Years of Patriotism, Resilience, and Aspirations from the National Collection

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