Institutions across the country are commemorating America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, and this spring, some of the country’s most significant historical documentary are on display at one of the Kansas City area’s leading museums.

In partnership with America 250, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum brings nearly two dozen critically important artifacts of American history to Independence with Opening the Vault: The Story of US. Many of the documents have never previously been on display beyond the National Archives.

Plus, many pieces have direct ties to the Kansas City region and President Truman’s decisions while in office, from the Missouri Compromise and the Brown v. Board of Education decision (originated in nearby Topeka) to Executive Order 9981 desegregating the U.S. Armed Forces.

Open through May 24, the treasured documents available to view at the Truman Library include:

  • Original Design of the Great Seal of the United States, 1782: The design is still in use after more than two centuries.
  • Treaty of Paris, 1783: The agreement ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence.
  • Bill of Rights (Senate Revisions), 1789: The Senate’s early edits are seen in this document outlining America’s core freedoms.
  • Louisiana Purchase, 1803: This acquisition doubled the size of the United States.
  • Missouri Compromise, 1820: Tensions between free and slave states were negotiated with the terms established by the Missouri Compromise.
  • Compromise of 1850: Another effort to ease tensions between free and slave states was established as new territories were acquired after the Mexican-American War.
  • Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854: Effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act led to conflicts known as Bleeding Kansas—a precursor to the Civil War.
  • Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1857: Citizenship for African Americans was denied with this Supreme Court decision.
  • Telegram Announcing the Surrender of Fort Sumter, 1861: As the U.S. Army surrendered Fort Sumter to Confederate forces, the American Civil War began.
  • Joint Resolution Proposing the Thirteenth Amendment, 1865: Ratified in December 1865, the resolution proposed the abolition of slavery in the United States.
  • Judgment in Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896: Segregation was determined to be constitutional in this Supreme Court decision, establishing the “separate but equal” doctrine.
  • President Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points Speech, 1918: The speech to Congress presented a blueprint for peace after World War I.
  • Manhattan Project Notebook, 1942: Handwritten notes detail the project that created the atomic bomb.
  • Surrender of Germany, 1945: With this document, World War II came to an end in Europe.
  • Executive Order 9981, 1945: President Harry S. Truman signed this order to desegregate the U.S. Armed Forces.
  • North Atlantic Treaty, 1949: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in the aftermath of World War II, reshaping global security.
  • Armistice Agreement for the Restoration of the South Korean State, 1953: Active hostilities ceased and the Korean Demilitarized Zone was established.
  • Brown v. Board of Education, 1954: Originating in nearby Topeka, the landmark Supreme Court decision struck down prior “separate but equal” guidance.
  • Executive Order 10730: Desegregation of Central High School, 1957: President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent troops to enforce desegregation at a Little Rock high school.
  • Voting Rights Act of 1965: The right to vote was enacted with this foundational piece of legislation, dismantling barriers to democracy.
  • Joint Resolution Proposing the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, 1971: Following youth activism during the Vietnam War era, the voting age was lowered to 18.

Once you’ve had the chance to see these rare documents on display, there are opportunities to take a closer look at the events that produced them and find local ties throughout the region.

Keep reading for ways to follow history from the Truman Library to institutions across the Kansas City area.

Harry S. Truman Präsidentenbibliothek und Museum

After viewing the Manhattan Project Notebook, step upstairs to view a permanent display in the Truman Library that examines the day-to-day considerations made by the president in advance of his decision to use the atomic bomb.

The institution tells the complex story of President Truman’s standing as an advocate for progress. He met with a white supremacist group early in his political career and promoted segregated public housing as a senator. When he assumed the presidency, he went on to establish a committee on civil rights in 1946 and signed Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948, to desegregate the U.S. military.

Explore all these stories, along with many more, at his library in Independence. Plus, this summer features a special sports-inspired exhibit, United We Play: Kicking it with the Trumans.

Inspired by Kansas City’s place as a FIFA World Cup 2026™ host city, the display features the Truman family’s personal ties to athletics in Kansas City and beyond, as well as an impressive collection of memorabilia from the city’s past and present sports franchises.

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

After viewing Executive Order 9981, visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to learn about the monumental step in sports that predated the desegregation of the Armed Forces—and likely influenced Truman himself.

Das Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) widmet sich dem Erbe des schwarzen Baseballs und seiner entscheidenden Rolle bei der Förderung der amerikanischen Bürgerrechte. Im Jahr 1920 wurde die Negro National League im Paseo YMCA in Kansas City gegründet - ein Gebäude, das noch immer in der Nachbarschaft steht, direkt gegenüber dem NLBM.

In den folgenden Jahren und Jahrzehnten erfreute sich der Baseball der Negro League großer Beliebtheit, doch die Diskriminierung hielt weiterhin an. Fans, die die schwarzen Spieler auf dem Spielfeld begeistert anfeuerten, verweigerten ihnen oft den Service in Restaurants, Hotels und anderen Einrichtungen.

Jackie Robinson durchbrach 1947 die Rassenschranken in der Major League Baseball, als er sein Debüt für die Brooklyn Dodgers gab, was schließlich zur vollständigen Integration und zum Niedergang der Negro Leagues führte. Die Beharrlichkeit vieler wegweisender Sportler hinterließ jedoch ein Vermächtnis, das den Sport und die amerikanische Gesellschaft für immer veränderte.

Nationales Museum und Denkmal des Ersten Weltkriegs

After examining President Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points Speech, visit the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Learn more about the global conflict that led to a new proposal for peaceful diplomacy.

The National WWI Museum and Memorial stands as the only American museum solely dedicated to preserving the objects, history and personal experiences of the Great War.

Das Museum beherbergt außerdem die weltweit umfangreichste Sammlung von Objekten und Dokumenten aus dem Ersten Weltkrieg. Die Besucher können mit interaktiven Filmen, Hightech-Beleuchtung und Spezialeffekten, einer offenen Lagerung von Artefakten und vielem mehr in diese Geschichten eintauchen.

Brown v. Board National Historic Park

After viewing the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, make a trip to Topeka and see the site where this landmark legal battle for equality began.

Eine Stunde westlich der Innenstadt von Kansas City können Sie die Momente erkunden, die zu einer der bedeutendsten Entscheidungen des US-Gerichtssystems führten. Brown v. Board of Education entstand im Schulsystem von Topeka, wo die Lehrerin und spätere Aktivistin Lucinda Todd 13 Familien dazu brachte, ihre Kinder in den örtlichen weißen Schulen anzumelden.

Ihre Verweigerung wurde zur Grundlage einer Klage, die bis zum Obersten Gerichtshof gelangte, wo die Richter einstimmig beschlossen, die zuvor durch Plessy gegen Ferguson aufgestellte Doktrin "getrennt, aber gleich" aufzuheben. Die Entscheidung beendete die rechtliche Segregation des amerikanischen öffentlichen Schulsystems. Sie führte zwar zu heftigem Widerstand an verschiedenen Standorten im ganzen Land, ist aber nach wie vor eine der folgenreichsten Maßnahmen in der Rechtsgeschichte des Landes.

Besuchen Sie den Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park und betreten Sie die Monroe School für eine selbstgeführte Tour, die einen 30-minütigen Einführungsfilm, eine Ausstellung über den langen Kampf um die Gleichberechtigung der Rassen im US-Schulsystem und eine Erkundung der anhaltenden Auswirkungen der Entscheidung umfasst.