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.

Biblioteca y Museo Presidencial Harry S. Truman

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.

Museo de las Ligas Negras de Béisbol

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.

El Museo del Béisbol de las Ligas Negras (NLBM) se dedica al legado del béisbol negro y a su papel fundamental en el avance de los derechos civiles estadounidenses. En 1920, la Negro National League se fundó en el Paseo YMCA de Kansas City, una estructura que aún se conserva en el barrio, justo enfrente del NLBM.

En los años y décadas siguientes, el béisbol de la Liga Negra se hizo inmensamente popular, pero los patrones generales de discriminación continuaron. Los aficionados que veían con entusiasmo a los jugadores negros en el campo a menudo les negaban el servicio en restaurantes, hoteles y otros establecimientos.

Jackie Robinson rompió la barrera racial de la Major League Baseball en 1947 cuando debutó con los Brooklyn Dodgers, lo que finalmente condujo a la integración total y al fin de las Ligas Negras, pero la perseverancia de muchos atletas pioneros dejó un legado que transformó para siempre el deporte y la sociedad estadounidense.

Museo Nacional y Memorial de la Primera Guerra Mundial

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.

El museo también alberga la colección de objetos y documentos de la Primera Guerra Mundial más diversa del mundo. Los visitantes pueden sumergirse en estas historias con películas interactivas, iluminación de alta tecnología y efectos especiales, almacenamiento abierto de artefactos y mucho más.

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.

A una hora al oeste del centro de Kansas City, explore los momentos que condujeron a una de las decisiones más importantes jamás tomadas por el sistema judicial estadounidense. El caso Brown contra la Junta de Educación surgió en el sistema escolar de Topeka, donde la maestra convertida en activista Lucinda Todd llevó a 13 familias a matricular a sus hijos en las escuelas blancas locales.

Su negativa se convirtió en la base de una demanda que llegó hasta el Tribunal Supremo, donde los jueces decidieron por unanimidad anular la doctrina de "separados pero iguales" establecida previamente por el caso Plessy contra Ferguson. La decisión puso fin a la segregación legal del sistema escolar público estadounidense y, aunque provocó una intensa resistencia en centros de todo el país, sigue siendo una de las acciones más trascendentales de la historia judicial del país.

Visite el Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park y entre en la Monroe School para realizar una visita autoguiada, que incluye una película introductoria de 30 minutos, una exposición que detalla la larga lucha por la igualdad racial en el sistema escolar estadounidense y una exploración del impacto duradero de la decisión.