Every Collection has a Story. The Archives holds records that document the Smithsonian’s people, events, buildings, and research. The history of the Smithsonian is a vital part of the history of American experience, scientific exploration, and international cultural understanding.
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Appointment times are currently filling up 2-3 weeks in advance. For more information about Smithsonian Libraries and Archives locations, see Library Locations and Smithsonian Institution Archives Reference. To requests an appointment at another location, use Contact Us.
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Explore the history of the Smithsonian Institution:
October 1, 1987
A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the United States Constitution opens at the National Museum of American History. The exhibition is designed to focus attention on the Bicentennial of the Constitution and explores a period when racial prejudice and fear upset the balance between the rights of citizens and the power of the state and led to the internment of some 120,000 Japanese Americans for much of World War II. The exhibition also includes a section on the men in the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, an all-Japanese American unit of the U.S. Army.
