For more than two centuries, the U.S. Constitution has evolved alongside the nation it governs. The new “Making Amends” exhibit at the Clinton Presidential Center traces that journey through the stories and artifacts behind the document’s 27 amendments.
The temporary exhibit debuts today, March 10, and will run through July 26. Featuring rare artifacts and powerful human stories, the exhibit explores the struggles to improve the nation’s founding document. “Making Amends” examines America’s progress toward a “more perfect union” through the history of all 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
The Constitution’s “We the People” message has become increasingly inclusive, serving as a source of shared values that has endured through times of division and uncertainty.
Visitors will journey through the constitutional amendments and their history across more than two and a half centuries of American life while discovering their role in upholding democracy today.
The exhibit is part of the Clinton Center’s America250 commemoration, which will feature engaging programs and activities for visitors of all ages.
For a limited time, original versions of constitutional amendments and historic documents will also be on view from March 10 through April 12. These special collection items from the National Archives include:
- The Treaty of Paris (1782)
- Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States (1782)
- First 12 Proposed Constitutional Amendments Sent to States for Ratification (1789)
- Joint Resolution Proposing the 13th Amendment (1865)
- Senate resolution Proposing the 14th Amendment (1866)
- Plessey v Ferguson U.S. Supreme Court Decision (1896)
- Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas U.S. Supreme Court Decision (1954)
- Eisenhower Executive Order Federalizing Troops During Little Rock Central High Desegregation (1957)
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Joint Resolution Proposing the 26th Amendment (1971)
Alongside “Making Amends,” visitors can also experience the “American Revolution Experience,” an innovative pop-up exhibition connecting modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of the country.
Tickets to the temporary exhibit can be purchased online here. For more information, visit the Clinton Center website, and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest, including upcoming exhibit-related programming.
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