Last week, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery opened a new exhibition- “1898: US Imperial Visions and Revisions”.
This exhibition explores the United States move from Republic to Empire through many people throughout the pivotal year of 1998.
From Feb 15th, 1898, with the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana, to December 10th, 1898, with the Treaty of Paris, the world map altered rapidly. America’s self-perception changed while many people exchanged one government for another.
Territorial expansion from the east coast westward was continual from 1776 til America stretched from sea to shining sea. When 1898 ended, the United States possessed Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam, and Hawaii, all gained through natural power. All places where future naval bases would soon allow power around the globe.
Territories or Colonies?
The question of what people in these newly acquired territories would become was left unexplored at the time.
Since 1787’s Northwest Ordinances, the idealized desire was to welcome more people into the union while honoring treaties and obligations. Yet this rarely worked.
Many of these Pacific locations would be forgotten until they surfaced in the early days of our involvement in WWII. “1898” brings these locations and people back into conversation today.
This exhibition runs through February 25, 2024, on the second floor of the National Portrait Gallery. The dramatic domes of the building fit the feeling of this exhibition well.
The National Portrait Gallery is open 11 am-7:30 pm daily. For more information about the exhibition and museum, visit their website.
Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter to keep updated on new exhibitions like this.
