From Smithson to Smithsonian - Smithsonian Libraries · Activity Pages 1B–1D. ... draft a basic...

FROM SMITHSON TO SMITHSONIANTHE BIRTH OF AN INSTITUTION

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIESFOR GRADES 9-12

©1997 Smithsonian Institution

Published by the Smithsonian Office of Education and the SmithsonianInstitution Libraries. Based on the Smithsonian Institution Libraries’exhibition From Smithson to Smithsonian: The Birth of an Institution.(http://www.sil.si.edu)

OBJECTIVES❖ Identify methodshistorians use to studythe past❖ Define primary andsecondary sources❖ Examine the relativestrengths of a variety ofprimary source materi-als

MATERIALS❖ Copies of ActivityPages 1A–1D❖ Pens, pencils❖ Teacher ResourcePages

SUBJECTSocial studies

PROCEDURE1. Ask your students toimagine that a histori-an twenty years in thefuture has been com-missioned to write ahistory of their schoolat the present time.What type of informa-tion might thishistorian use to writean account of everydaylife in their school? (Tomake the example clear-er, you may wish toemphasize events thatstudents are familiarwith, i.e., a recent athlet-ic season or schoolactivity fair.) Answerswill vary, but studentswill probably concludethat a historian could

use a variety of sources(e.g., documents,books, interviews,newspaper articles,audio and video record-ings). Ask a studentvolunteer to record theclass responses on thechalkboard.

2. Direct your studentsto the class responseson the chalkboard. Askthem to evaluate how alocal newspaperaccount about a schoolevent published a weeklater differs from a stu-dent participant’s diaryentry about the event.Answers will vary, butstudents will likelyconclude that the diaryentry is “closer” to theevent than the localnewspaper accountbecause it reflects theperspective of a partici-pant. Tell your studentsthat historians use avariety of sources likethese testimonies andmust evaluate the rela-tive strengths of theirsources before writing ahistory. Emphasize thataccounts written bynon-participants (oftenmany years later) aregenerally known as sec-ondary sources, whilefirst-hand accountsfrom the time periodare known as primarysources.

3. Divide your classinto groups of equalsize. Give each group acopy of Activity Page1A “IdentifyingPrimary and SecondarySources.” Ask eachgroup to review thedefinitions of primaryand secondary sourcesand then place theclass responses fromthe chalkboard into theappropriate columnson Activity Page 1A.When the groups havefinished, lead the classin a discussion of theresults.

4. Give each studentgroup two copies ofActivity Pages 1B–1D.Ask each group to pro-vide examples of theprimary source types(documents, images,and oral history).(Students should beencouraged to provide pri-mary source examplesbeyond those alreadylisted on the chalkboard.See the Teacher Resourcepages for additionalexamples of primarysources.) Then ask eachgroup to carefully con-sider the strengths andweaknesses of each pri-mary source type. Whymight the source beuseful evidence to ahistorian? Why mightthe source require addi-tional evidence?

5. When the groupshave finished, lead theclass in a discussion ofthe results. Studentsshould conclude thathistorians need to care-fully evaluate allsources before they canhope to write an objec-tive account of thepast. Conclude theactivity by telling yourstudents that in thenext activity, they willapply their knowledgeof primary sources in ahistorical “detective”game.

DEFINITIONSPrimary Source—Afirst-hand, originalaccount, record, or evi-dence about a person,object, or event.

Secondary Source—Anaccount, record, or evi-dence derived from anoriginal or primarysource. (Newspaperaccounts included in thisexhibition are secondarysources.)

Teacher Resource pagesadapted from Getting inTouch with History: ASmithsonian Course, ajoint publication of theSmithsonian Office ofEducation and the TI-IN Network.

LESSON PLAN ONEEVALUATING HISTORICAL SOURCES

From Smithson to Smithsonian: Classroom Activities 1

ACTIVITY PAGE 1AIDENTIFYING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES

Primary Source Secondary Source


ACTIVITY PAGE 1BSTRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF PRIMARY SOURCES

Primary Source Strengths Weaknesses


DOCUMENTS

ACTIVITY PAGE 1CSTRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF PRIMARY SOURCES



ORAL HISTORY

ACTIVITY PAGE 1DSTRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF PRIMARY SOURCES



IMAGES

TEACHER RESOURCESSTRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF PRIMARY SOURCES

Primary Source Strengths WeaknessesPrimary Source Strengths WeaknessesDOCUMENTS

Printed or written materialsthat communicate and recordinformation.

Examples include:

diaries; letters; birth/death, ormarriage certificates; deeds;contracts, constitutions, laws,court records; tax records;census records; wills, invento-ries; treaties; report cards;medical records; passengerlists; passports; visas; natural-ization papers; militaryenlistment or dischargepapers.

• provide information onthe “who, what, where,when, why, and how” ofan event

• provide written, printed,or graphic information

• purpose of the communi-cation or transaction isoften clear

• may indicate the socialand economic status ofthe author

• may offer insight into theemotional state of theauthor

• can stimulate the personalinvolvement of the reader

• may not be a thoroughlyobjective source

• generally a verbal, ratherthan a visual record

• may not consider otherviews or perspectives onthe same event(s)

• the identity of the authormay be unclear (especiallytrue in the case of govern-ment documents)

• the author is usually nolonger living and there-fore can not be consultedfor verification

• may be difficult to read:handwriting may be diffi-cult to decipher; words orphrases may be unfamiliarand their meanings mayhave changed over time

• documents must be evalu-ated in conjunction withother evidence to deter-mine whether theypresent information thatis exceptional or conformsto previously establishedpatterns





IMAGES

A visual record obtainedthrough photography orpainting.

• visual record of a particularmoment in time

• conveys a variety of detailsabout people, places,objects, and events

• conveys information abouteveryday life and behaviorthat is best communicatedin visual terms (hair andclothing styles, interiordesign)

• sometimes provides evi-dence of the photographeror painter’s attitude

• important to the study ofpeople who did not leavemany written records

• can stimulate the personalinvolvement of the viewer

• can be used to stimulatethe memory of an oral his-tory informant

• not a complete or objectivesource: the image that servesas the lasting record may notequate directly with the realityof the event itself

• the relationship of the pho-tographer or painter to his orher subject is not always clear

• one must consider the bias orperspective of the photogra-pher or painter, including:

– the choice of subject

– the choice of timing

– the subject matter that a per-son present at the event choseto record

– whether the people or objectshave been manipulated by thephotographer or painter

• the people, place, date, andphotographer or painter areoften not identified

• the emotions and thoughts ofthose involved often are notevident

• information from this kind ofsource is often suggestiverather than definitive; pho-tographs and paintings mustbe studied in conjunctionwith other evidence, i.e., doc-uments and oral histories, todetermine if the informationis unusual or part of a largerpattern




ORAL HISTORY

The record of an individual’s(informant’s) reminiscences,accounts, and interpretations ofthe past in his or her own spo-ken words obtained throughplanned interview(s) and pre-served through the use of audioor video tape, film, or writtentranscription.

• personalizes history byrecording an individual’sremembrances (or opin-ions) about their life or anevent in which they wereinvolved

• provides information abouta topic or time period thatmay otherwise lack docu-mentation in written orarchival records

• often conveys emotionclearly

• contains spontaneity andcandor not always presentin a personally writtenaccount

• may contain unusualdialect or speech patterns

• often informant is livingand may be consulted forclarification or additionalinformation

• memory of the informant isfallible

• informant may intentionallyor unintentionally distort theevent or his or her role inthe event, thereby compro-mising the record’s validity

• informant may be reluctantto discuss certain topics,resulting in an inaccurate orincomplete record

• informant’s testimony maynot be consistent from oneinterview to the next

• the bias, objective, or therelationship of the interview-er to those being interviewedmust be considered

• interviewer’s questions mayintentionally or unintention-ally influence theinformant’s response

• unfamiliar words or phrasesfrom another time may notbe clarified by informant

• the bias of the historian orinterviewer may be evidentin the edited version of theinterview(s)

• oral history is the mutualcreation of the historian andthe person being inter-viewed: the historian createsthe topic or problem to bestudied, and the informantprovides the information

• oral histories must be evalu-ated in conjunction withother evidence to determinewhether they present infor-mation that is exceptional orconforms to previously estab-lished patterns

TEACHER RESOURCESREADING ABOUT PRIMARY SOURCES


BOOKS AND ARTICLES

Kyvig, David E., and Myron A. Marty, Nearby History: Exploring the Past Around You. Nashville: AmericanAssociation for State and Local History, 1982.

ORAL HISTORY

Baum, Willa K. Oral History for the Local Historical Society. Nashville, Tenn: American Association forState and Local History, 1977.

——— Transcribing and Editing Oral History. Nashville, Tenn: American Association for State and LocalHistory, 1981.

Dunaway, David, and Willa K. Baum, eds. Oral History: An Interdisciplinary Anthology. Nashville, Tenn:American Association for State and Local History in cooperation with the Oral History Association,1984.

Fletcher, W. Recording Your Family History: A Guide to Preserving Oral History with Videotape, Audiotape,Suggested Topics and Questions, Interviews Techniques. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1986.

Mehaffy, George L., Thad Sitton, and O.L. Davis, Jr. Oral History in the Classroom, How to Do It Series (2,no. 8.). Washington, D.C.: National Council for the Social Studies, 1979.

Schopes, Linda. Using Oral History for a Family History Project. Technical Leaflet 123. Nashville, Tenn:American Association for State and Local History, 1978.

Tyrell, William G. Tape Recording Local History. Technical Leaflet 35. Rev. ed. Nashville, Tenn: AmericanAssociation for State and Local History, 1973.

Zimmerman, Bill. How to Tape Instant Oral Biographies. New York: Bantum Books, 1992.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Fleischauer, Carl, and Beverly W. Brannan, eds. Documenting America: 1935–1943. Berkeley, Calif.:University of California Press in Association with the Library of Congress, 1988.

Trachtenberg, Alan. Reading American Photographs: Images as History, Matthew Brady to Walker Evans.New York: Hill and Wang, 1989.

OBJECTIVES❖ Examine a variety ofprimary source materi-als from the life ofJames Smithson❖ Evaluate primarysource materials forclues to the identity ofJames Smithson❖ Interpret primarysource materials anddraft a basic thesisstatement

MATERIALS❖ Copies of ActivityPages 2A–2E❖ Pens, pencils❖ Teacher Resourcepages


PROCEDURE1. Divide your classinto groups of equalsize. Tell your studentsthat they will now usetheir knowledge of pri-mary source materialsto play a historical“detective game.” Askyour students to imag-ine that they arehistorians who havebeen called together tointerpret a series of pri-mary source materials.Tell them that theirtask is to examine theevidence and reachsome general conclu-sions about anhistorical figure who

played an importantrole in American histo-ry. (You may wish tomotivate students furtherby offering extra credit orbonus points to the groupthat arrives at the mostdetailed and accurateconclusions.)

2. Give each groupcopies of Activity Pages2A–2E. Ask your stu-dents to carefullyexamine the imagesand documents oneach Activity Pagebefore answering theassociated questions.What does the evi-dence tell us about thisperson? What timeperiod might he havelived in? What were hisinterests? Is there anyindication of his socialstatus? What countrymight he have beenfrom? Emphasize thatstudents are to record apossible interpretationfrom each primarysource on Activity Page2E . (Some students mayremark that the manu-script samples weredifficult to read–you maywish to use this opportu-nity to emphasize thathistorians are often con-fronted with handwrittendocuments that are diffi-cult to read.)

3. When the groupshave finished, lead theclass in a discussion oftheir conclusions.

Answers will vary, butstudents should con-clude that thehistorical figure inquestion was an edu-cated, wealthy manwho was keenly inter-ested in scientificendeavors–especiallymineralogy. Some stu-dents may alsoconclude that the manwas not American, butEuropean.

4. Tell your studentsthat they have discov-ered almost as much asthe experts know aboutthis man. Reveal thatthe “mystery man” wasJames Smithson, anEnglish scientist wholeft his fortune to thepeople of the UnitedStates in 1829 to foundan institution for the“increase and diffusionof knowledge.”Smithson’s bequest ledto the foundation ofthe SmithsonianInstitution, the world’slargest museum andresearch complex.Conclude the activityby telling your studentsthat in the next activi-ty they will learn howSmithson’s gift becameAmerica’s Smithsonian.

JAMES SMITHSON: THE MAN BEHIND THEINSTITUTION

While the institutionnamed after JamesSmithson enjoys world-wide renown, we knowlittle about the manwho left $508,318 tothe people of theUnited States to foundsuch an institution.

An English scientistwho conductedresearch in chemistry,mineralogy, and geolo-gy, Smithson lived andtraveled in severalEuropean countries. Hisschooling and interestsafforded him theopportunity to mixwith many noted scien-tists.

Smithson was born inFrance in 1765. NamedJames Lewis Macie, hewas the illegitimate sonof Hugh Smithson,who later became thefirst Duke ofNorthumberland, andElizabeth KeateHungerford Macie, awidow of royal blood.Smithson and his halfbrother Henry LouisDickinson inherited aconsiderable estatefrom their mother’sfamily. Why Smithsonchose to leave his for-tune to the UnitedStates remains a mys-tery to this day.

LESSON PLAN TWOWHO WAS JAMES SMITHSON?


ACTIVITY PAGE 2APIECING IT TOGETHER—SEARCHING FOR HISTORICAL CLUES


What can this image tell us about the subject? What time period might hehave lived in? What were his interests? Is there any indication of his socialstatus? What country might he have been from?

Figure 1

ACTIVITY PAGE 2BPIECING IT TOGETHER—SEARCHING FOR HISTORICAL CLUES


What can these images tell us about the subject? What time period might he have lived in? Whatwere his interests? Is there any indication of his social status? What country might he have beenfrom?

Figure 2

Figure 3

ACTIVITY PAGE 2CPIECING IT TOGETHER—SEARCHING FOR HISTORICAL CLUES


What can these images tell us about the subject? What time period might he have lived in? What werehis interests? Is there any indication of his social status? What country might he have been from?

Figure 4

Figure 5

ACTIVITY PAGE 2DPIECING IT TOGETHER—SEARCHING FOR HISTORICAL CLUES


Large trunk.Box containing sundry specimens of minerals,marked E.Brass instrument.Box of minerals, marked F.Box of chemical glasses, marked G.Packet of minerals, marked H.Glass vinegar cruet.Stone mortar.Pair of silver-plated candlesticks and branches.Pair of silver-plated candlesticks, no branches.Hone in a mahogany case.Plated wire flower basket.Plated coffeepot.Plated small one.Pair of wine coolers.Pair small candlesticks.Two pairs of saltcellars.Breadbasket.Two pair of vegetable dishes and covers.Large round waiter.Large oval waiter; two small waiters.Two plate warmers.Reading shade.

Sundry articles in packet and in trunk.

(a) Gun.(a) Mahogany cabinet.(a) Two portraits, in oval frames.

China tea service.

(a) Twelve cups and saucers.(a) Six coffee cups.(a) Teapot.(a) Slop basin.(a) Sugar basin and lid.(a) Two plates.(a) Milk jug.(a) tea canister.(a) Two dishes.(a) Landscape in a gilt frame.(a) Derby spa vase.(a) China tub.(a) Piece of fluor.(a) Pair of glass candlesticks.

Marble bust.

Books.

Sundry pamphlets on philosophical subjects, inpacket marked A.The like, marked B.Struggles Through Life.Bibliotheca Parisiana.La Platina d’Or Blanc.Contorides des Indiens.Sundry pamphlets on philosophical subjects,marked C.Weld’s Travels in North America, 2 volumes.Bray’s Derbyshire.Twenty-three numbers of Nicholson’s Journal ofNatural Philosophy, in a case (D).Memoire d’un Voyageur qui le répose.Hamilton in Antrim.Londres et de ses Environs.Stew on Solids.Essais de Jean Key.Mon Bonnet de Nuit.Domestic Cookery.Catalogue de Fossils des Roches.The Monthly Review, 78 numbers.The Monthly Review, 26 volumes.Philosophical Transactions for the year 1826.Anthologies et Fragments Philosophiques, 4 volumes.

Two large boxes filled with specimens of mineralsand manuscript treatises, apparently in the testa-tor’s handwriting, on various philosophicalsubjects, particularly chemistry and mineralogy.Eight cases and one trunk filled with the like.

Those articles to which this mark (a) is prefixedwere not in the trunk No. 13 when it was firstopened in the consulate of the United States inour presence.

All the linen in trunk No. 13 was transferred fromcase 7, and sundry articles of plated ware andphilosophical instruments, etc., were transferredfrom case 12. Sundry books, which were tiedtogether, were also put in this case.

Transcription 1

LIST OF JAMES SMITHSON’S PERSONAL PROPERTY, COMPILED IN 1838.

ACTIVITY PAGE 2EPIECING IT TOGETHER—SEARCHING FOR HISTORICAL CLUES


Directions: Examine each of the primary source “clues” on Activity Pages 2A–2D. What does each primarysource suggest about the “mystery man?” Write your evaluations in the column labeled “Interpretations.” Writeyour overall conclusions about the mystery man in the area labeled “Conclusions.”

PRIMARY SOURCES INTERPRETATIONS

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 3

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 5

TRANSCRIPTION 1

CONCLUSIONS

OBJECTIVES❖ Evaluate a series ofprimary source docu-ments❖ Identify the varietyof opinions regardingthe use of Smithson’sbequest❖ Define the legislativecompromise embodiedin the SmithsonianInstitution Act

MATERIALS❖ Copies of ActivityPages 3A–3D❖ Pens, pencils


PROCEDURE1. Tell your studentsthat they’ll now beapplying their knowl-edge of primary sourcematerials to the cir-cumstancessurrounding JamesSmithson’s gift to thepeople of the UnitedStates. Stress that at theconclusion of thisactivity, students willunderstand the condi-tions under whichSmithson granted hisbequest and the manyopinions Americansheld on how to bestutilize Smithson’s gift.

2. Divide your classinto groups of equalsize. Give each group

copies of Activity Pages3A–3D. Ask your stu-dents to carefullyexamine the imagesand documents oneach Activity Pagebefore answering theassociated questions.Does the evidence tellus why Smithsongranted more than halfa million dollars to theUnited States? Underwhat conditions wouldthe bequest be awardedto the United States?What opinions didprominent Americanshold on how to bestutilize Smithson’s gift?In the legislationpassed by Congress,which views were rep-resented and whichwere not?

3. When the groupshave finished, lead theclass in a discussion oftheir conclusions.Answers will vary, butstudents should con-clude that the availableevidence offers no clearinsight into whySmithson left hisbequest to the peopleof the United States.Students should alsoconclude that theUnited States was toreceive the gift only ifSmithson’s nephew(Henry JamesHungerford) died with-out leaving any heirs.(You might ask studentsto speculate as to why

Smithson left such anunusual provision in hiswill. Stress that histori-ans have also speculatedon Smithson’s motives,with almost as little evi-dence to evaluate.)

Your students shouldalso conclude thatthere were many differ-ent views on howSmithson’s bequestcould be used by theUnited States. Studentsshould generally con-clude that someAmericans favored theuse of Smithson’s giftto fund scientificresearch (AlexanderDallas Bache), a nation-al astronomicalobservatory (JohnQuincy Adams), anational university(Asher Robbins), and anational library (RufusChoate).

Direct your students tothe excerpt from theSmithsonian InstitutionAct of 1846 on ActivityPage 3D. According toCongress, what was theSmithsonian Institutionto be? Students shouldconclude that theSmithsonian was to bea library; museum(especially for minerals,geological collectionsand natural history);lecture hall; art gallery;and chemical laboratory.

4. Conclude the activi-ty by telling yourstudents that the for-mation of theSmithsonian byCongress is an exampleof legislative compro-mise (a settlement ofdifferences throughmutual concession).Many opinions onwhat the Smithsonianmight be were incorpo-rated into the finallegislation. Ask yourstudents to identifywhich opinions (Bache,Choate) were fully rep-resented, which werepartially represented(Robbins), and whichwere not represented(Adams). Be sure tostress that compromisehas been at the veryheart of the legislativeprocess in the UnitedStates throughout his-tory and remains so tothis day. (To extend theunderstanding of compro-mise, you may wish toprovide an example ofsome contemporary legis-lation.)

LESSON PLAN THREEMAKING THE CONNECTION—FROM SMITHSON TO SMITHSONIAN


ACTIVITY PAGE 3AMAKING THE CONNECTION—FROM SMITHSON TO SMITHSONIAN


THE WILL OF JAMES SMITHSON

I James Smithson Son to Hugh, first Duke of Northumberland, &, Elizabeth, Heiress of the Hungerfordsof Studley, &, Niece to Charles the proud Duke of Somerset, now residing in Bentinck Street, CavendishSquare, do this twenty-third day of October, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six, make this mylast Will and Testament:

I bequeath the whole of my property of every nature &, kind soever to my bankers, Messrs.Drummonds of Charing Cross, in trust, to be disposed of in the following manner, and I desire of mysaid Executors to put my property under the management of the Court of Chancery.

To John Fitall, formerly my Servant, but now employed in the London Docks, and residing at No. 27,Jubilee Place, North Mile End, old town, in consideration of his attachment &, fidelity to me, &, thelong &, great care he has taken of my effects, &, my having done but very little for him, I give andbequeath the Annuity or annual sum of One hundred pounds sterling for his life, to be paid to himquarterly, free of legacy duty &, all other deductions, the first payment to be made to him at the expira-tion of three months after my death…

To Henry James Hungerford, my Nephew, heretofore called Henry James Dickinson, son of my latebrother, Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Louis Dickinson, now residing with Mr. Auboin, at Bourg la Reine,near Paris, I give and bequeath for his life the whole of the income arising from my property of everynature &, kind whatever, after the payment of the above Annuity, &, after the death of John Fitall, thatAnnuity likewise, the payments to be made to him at the time the interest or dividends become due onthe Stocks or other property from which the income arises.

Should the said Henry James Hungerford have a child or children, legitimate or illegitimate, I leave tosuch child or children, his or their heirs, executors &, assigns, after the death of his, or her, or theirFather, the whole of my property of every kind absolutely &, forever, to be divided between them, ifthere is more than one, in the manner their father shall judge proper, or, in case of his omitting todecide this, as the Lord Chancellor shall judge proper.

Should my said Nephew, Henry James Hungerford, marry, I empower him to make a jointure.

In the case of the death of my said Nephew without leaving a child or children, or the death of thechild or children he may have had under the age of twenty-one years or intestate, I then bequeath thewhole of my property subject to the Annuity of One Hundred pounds to John Fitall, &, for the security&, payment of which I mean Stock to remain in this Country, to the United States of America, to foundat Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase &,diffusion of knowledge among men…

ACTIVITY PAGE 3BMAKING THE CONNECTION—FROM SMITHSON TO SMITHSONIAN


“I am most anxious that this fund should

furnish means of scientific research in this

country & that the institution should thus

supply a want which all of us feel to exist

unsupplied by our Colleges & Universities.”

SMITHSONIAN REGENT, ALEXANDER DALLAS BACHE,

SEPTEMBER 15, 1846

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN QUINCY ADAMS (MASSACHUSETTS)

MARCH 5, 1840

“There is no richer field of science opened to the

exploration of man in search of knowledge than

astronomical observation.”

ACTIVITY PAGE 3CMAKING THE CONNECTION—FROM SMITHSON TO SMITHSONIAN


“We have only to tread the path that led the

Athenian to his glory, and to open that path

to the youth of our country.”

“Why should a German or an Englishman sit

down to a repast of five hundred thousand

books, and an American scholar, who loves

the truth as well as he, be put on something

less than half allowance?”

SENATOR ASHER ROBBINS (RHODE ISLAND)

JANUARY 10, 1839

SENATOR RUFUS CHOATE (MASSACHUSETTS)

JANUARY 8, 1845

ACTIVITY PAGE 3DMAKING THE CONNECTION—FROM SMITHSON TO SMITHSONIAN


EXCERPT FROM THE LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

(As adopted by Congress and signed into law by President James K. Polk, August 10, 1846)

SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, That, so soon as the board of regents shall have selected the said site,they shall cause to be erected a suitable building, of plain and durable materials and structure, withoutunnecessary ornament, and of sufficient size, and with suitable rooms or halls, for the reception andarrangement, upon a liberal scale, of objects of natural history, including a geological and mineralogicalcabinet; also a chemical laboratory, a library, a gallery of art, and the necessary lecture rooms…

SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, That, in proportion as suitable arrangements can be made for theirreception, all objects of art and of foreign and curious research, and all objects of natural history,plants, and geological and mineralogical specimens, belonging, or hereafter to belong, to the UnitedStates, which may be in the city of Washington, in whosesoever custody the same may be, shall bedelivered to such persons as may be authorized by the board of regents to receive them, and shall bearranged in such order, and so classed, as best [to] facilitate the examination and study of them, in thebuilding so as aforesaid to be erected for the institution; and the regents of said institution shall after-wards, as new specimens in natural history, geology, or mineralogy, may be obtained for the museum ofthe institution by exchanges of duplicate specimens belonging to the institution (which they are here-by authorized to make) or by donation, which they may receive, or otherwise, cause such newspecimens to be also appropriately classed and arranged…

SEC. 7. And be it further enacted, That the secretary of the board of regents shall take charge of the build-ing and property of said institution, and shall, under their direction, make a fair and accurate record ofall their proceedings, to be preserved in said institution; and the said secretary shall also discharge theduties of Librarian and of keeper of the museum…

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

SEC. 10. And be it further enacted, That the author or proprietor of any book, map, chart, musical com-position, print, cut, or engraving, for which a copy-right shall be secured under the existing acts ofCongress, or those which shall hereafter be enacted respecting copy-rights, shall, within three monthsfrom the publication of said book, map, chart, musical composition, print, cut, or engraving, deliver, orcause to be delivered, one copy of the same to the Librarian of the Smithsonian institution, and onecopy to the Librarian of Congress Library, for the use of the said Libraries.

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

ACTIVITY PAGE 3EMAKING THE CONNECTION—FROM SMITHSON TO SMITHSONIAN


What were the terms of James Smithson’s will? (Who got what?)

What was the special provision in James Smithson’s will regarding the United States?

What were some of the opposing views as to how the United States might make use of JamesSmithson’s gift? (Be sure to refer to the individuals profiled on Activity Pages 3B and C)

According the the Act that established the Smithsonian Institution, what was the Smithsonian to be?What functions did Congress wish for the Institution to assume?

Which views as to how the United States might make use of James Smithson’s gift were represented inthe final legislation? Which views were not represented? Which views were partly represented?

Directions: Examine each of the primary sources on Activity Pages 3A–3D and then answer the questions below.

From Smithson to Smithsonian - Smithsonian Libraries · Activity Pages 1B–1D. ... draft a basic...

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