The Smithsonian is Coming to Arizona!
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America 2020
Sponsored by Arizona Humanities with additional funding from
Friends of the Prescott Public Library.
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America,
a traveling exhibition by the
Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street Program.
June 20 – July 25, 2020
10am – 4pm
Prescott Public Library
Register to attend
Register here
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity!
Safety protocols will be in place throughout the exhibition and masks will be provided if you do not have one.
About the Exhibition
When American revolutionaries waged a war for independence they took a leap of faith that sent ripple effects across generations. They embraced a radical idea of establishing a government that entrusted the power of the nation not in a monarchy, but in its citizens. That great leap sparked questions that continue to impact Americans: who has the right to vote, what are the freedoms and responsibilities of citizens, and whose voices will be heard? Voices and Votes will be a springboard for discussions about those very questions and how they are reflected in local stories.
Designed for small-town museums, libraries and cultural organizations, Voices and Votes: Democracy in America will serve as a community meeting place to convene conversations about what it means to be a citizen and examine the context and main controversies behind America’s democratic system. Towns will develop complementary exhibits, host public programs, and facilitate educational initiatives to deepen people’s understanding our nation’s democratic system.
The exhibition will explore historic events and pose questions for today in the following content areas:
- The Great Leap: Examine the context and main controversies behind America’s democratic system. Learn the stories of our famous founders and those who remain mostly unknown. What were the principles and events that inspired the writers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution? Just how revolutionary was our new democracy led by the people? And who were “the people?”
- A Vote, A Voice: We have a diverse body of voters today, but not every American has always had the right to vote. The fight for fair representation, suffrage, and a voice at the polls has meant struggle and changes to law ever since our founding. Learn about these struggles, how voting was expanded, and continued challenges to getting the vote.
- The Machinery of Democracy: We participate in the political system through state and national parties, nomination conventions, and stomping for our candidate of choice. Learn about this machinery of democracy, how it calls us to be involved, but can also control how we get information about candidates and issues.
- Beyond the Ballot: Americans fight against injustice. Men and women of every ethnicity, class, and state have shared in the revolutionary spirit of rising up and speaking out. The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees this right to peaceably assembly and petition the government. See the different places and different motivations of diverse Americans to petition for their interests and concerns.
- Creating Citizens: Who are “We the People?” What is the meaning of citizenship? Ever since the creation of the Constitution, Americans continue to interpret, expand, and shape the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen. Explore how those views of rights and responsibilities have shaped our national identity and our complex national story.
2020 is the most important election of our lives.
Now more than ever we need every vote to count.
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Help us ensure that every voter votes safe by registering for the Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL).
Your generous contribution now will fund voter outreach and ensure our 2020 election is safe for everyone!
Paid for by Yavapai County Democratic Party