The most important American museum that doesn't exist … yet.
Story of the Making of the American People
The story of the making of the American People will be told in four chapters:
CHAPTER I THE FIRST PEOPLES COME
20,000 before present (est.)-1607: migration of American Indians, early European explorers and earliest settlements
We propose that the full story must encompass the history, so far as it is known, of the first peoples to have settled in this land. That is thought to have taken place some 20,000 years ago. This seldom told and little understood story about the great and diverse civilizations and peoples that prevailed in North America before 1607 is an integral part of the history of the American people. more...
CHAPTER II THE NATION TAKES FORM
1607-1820: the near extinction of Indians, English and other Western European settlement, the African slave trade and the establishment of the United States
The second chapter would cover those who came through the colonial period, 1607 to 1820, focusing prominently on the inflow of Western Europeans and Africans in the East and Hispanics in the Southwest, and the near extinction of Indians. The movement within the continent of the settlers and the Indians remnants would also be covered. more...
CHAPTER III THE GREAT IN-GATHERING
1820-1924: century of immigration; ancestors of most Americans arrive
This chapter would cover those who came from throughout the world during the great century of immigration, 1820 to 1924. This century, characterized by industrialization and urbanization and punctuated by the Civil War, saw 36 million immigrants flow to the United States. About two-thirds, 22.4 million, came between 1881 and 1920, and the decade 1901 to 1910 alone saw 8.8 million immigrants, almost a million every year. While it was generally older stock European immigrants who settled the western frontiers, newer immigrants tended to stake their fortunes in the new urban and industrial frontiers. The additions of peoples through territorial expansion would be covered in Chapters II and III. more...
CHAPTER IV AND STILL THEY COME
1924-Present: the ongoing story of American immigration and migration
The ongoing final chapter of this story takes us from 1924 though the present as the Museum portrays the evolving and dynamic rich mixture that we label “American.” Over the last few decades, one of the biggest national stories has been the steady flow of immigrants, both documented and undocumented, from Mexico as well as many others from Asia, South Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. This compelling story of American migration and immigration is still writing itself. more...
NOTE: The material herein is based largely on two books that tell part of this story, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann, and Coming to America: A History of Immigration and Ethnicity in American Life by Roger Daniels. Ideas and material from both authors are presented here to give readers a sense of the story. An outline of the story would be developed by the Commission and leading scholars would be expected to develop a detailed text of the Museum’s story following the establishment of the Museum.
