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President Bush Attends Reopening of the National Museum of American History
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary November 19, 2008

President Bush Attends Reopening of the National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History Washington, D.C.

˙ /news/releases/2008/11/20081119.wm.v.html ˙˙Presidential Remarks
˙˙Audio ˙˙Photos


10:16 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Laura and I are thrilled to be here. We are
honored you would invite us to reopen one of the country's great civic
institutions -- the Smithsonian's Museum of American History. This building
is home to many of our national treasures. It is a reminder of our
country's proud heritage. And today we're witnessing the beginning of an
exciting new era in its history. And I would urge all our citizens who come
to Washington, D.C.: Come to this fantastic place of learning.

Wayne, thank you for serving; proud to be with you. Roger Sant, the Chair
of the Smithsonian Institute's Board of Regents, and Vicki. I appreciate
Brent Glass, the Director. I want to thank Dirk Kempthorne -- Mr.
Secretary, thank you for being here. Jonathan Scharfen, Acting Director of
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, as well as Congressman [sic]
Doris Matsui from California. I want to thank Governor Martin O'Malley of
the great state of Maryland for coming here today. I am honored to be with
Judy Woodruff, the esteemed Master of Ceremony -- Mistress of Ceremony, MC.
I thank David McCullough for joining us -- a great historian and a fine
American.

Ever since President James K. Polk laid the Smithsonian's cornerstone in
1847, it has been one of our nation's greatest centers of knowledge. And
since it opened nearly 45 years ago, the Museum of American History has
been one of the Smithsonian's most popular institutions.

The items on display here are as diverse as our nation. Visitors can see
George Washington's military uniform, one of Thomas Edison's early
lightbulbs, the desk on which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of
Independence -- even Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves, which he modestly
predicted would become the most famous thing in this building. (Laughter.)

Another item on display here is one of our nation's proudest symbols of
patriotism. The icon's fame dates to the war of 1812. In that conflict, the
British Navy bombarded Baltimore's Fort McHenry with rockets and mortar
fire. And as the battle raged, a young American was detained on a ship in
Baltimore Harbor, unable to join the fight. The next morning, he was
anxious to see whether his country had resisted the invasion. He discovered
the answer when he saw the stars and stripes of the United States waving
defiantly above Fort McHenry.

That young American, of course, was Francis Scott Key. He referred to the
moment he saw the flag as an "hour of deliverance and joyful triumph." He
recorded those emotions in a poem called "The Star-Spangled Banner." Today,
nearly two centuries after they were composed, his words are written on the
heart of every American -- and written into our law as our country's
national anthem. And the flag that inspired them is preserved here, thanks
to the generosity of some fine citizens, to remind us of the sacrifices
that have been made to ensure our freedom.

There have been hours in our nation's history when that promise of freedom
looked uncertain. One of them took place 145 years ago today, when
President Abraham Lincoln arrived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to dedicate
a cemetery at one of the Civil War's bloodiest battlefields. By that day,
the war had raged for more than two and a half years, and claimed hundreds
of thousands of casualties. Many were convinced that a peace that preserved
slavery would be better than a war that was pitting brother against
brother. President Lincoln understood that liberty is a gift given by the
Almighty -- and that peace must not be purchased with injustice.

That day, President Lincoln called the nation together in the pursuit of "a
new birth of freedom." He urged Americans to honor the dead by carrying out
the cause for which they gave their lives. With only 10 sentences, he
strengthened the bonds of our Union -- and rededicated our nation to the
proposition that all men are created equal.

At the time, President Lincoln said that the world would "little note, nor
long remember" his words. The verdict of history has been quite different.
Over the years, the Gettysburg Address has been memorized by generations of
schoolchildren -- including me and Laura -- stands as the greatest
presidential speech of all time.

Nearly 50 years, one of the only handwritten copies of this speech has been
kept at the White House. For the next several weeks, it will be on display
here at the Museum of American History. And Laura and I are delighted that
this important piece of our country's heritage will be available for all to
see.

Among those inspired by the principles in the Gettysburg Address were four
African American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1960,
they sat at a lunch counter inside a Woolworth's department store and asked
to be served. Their request was denied -- because the counter was
designated as "whites only." When they were asked to leave, those brave
students refused to give up their seats. The single act of courage helped
power a national movement that culminated with the passage of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964. And today, that lunch counter is preserved here at the
Smithsonian -- in an honored location just down the hall from the
Gettysburg Address.

In the lives of Francis Scott Key, Abraham Lincoln, and those brave
students in Greensboro, we see the best of America. We see men and women of
character who refused to surrender to adversity. We see hope, courage, and
a devotion to universal values. And we see a nation constantly moving
toward greater freedom and greater opportunity.

Throughout our history, these ideals have called out to those beyond our
shores. They have beckoned those who love liberty from every nation. They
have made countless generations of men and women across the world long for
the pride that comes with calling yourself an American citizen. Today, I'm
delighted to congratulate five of you who will be taking your oath of
citizenship in just a few moments. Though you are originally from France,
Germany, Guyana, Lebanon, and Peru, today you're becoming members of the
American family. We welcome you with open arms. I will be proud to call you
fellow citizen.

The Museum of American History is a wonderful place to begin your journey
as an American. These halls reflect both the duties and privileges of
citizenship. They remind us that America's highest ideals have always
required brave defenders. They remind us that our liberty is a precious
gift from God.

Thank you for having Laura and me here. May God continue to bless the
United States of America. (Applause.)

END 10:24 A.M. EST

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