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 Presidentiële Bibliotheek en 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 Honkbalmuseum

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.

Het Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) wijdt zich aan de erfenis van het zwarte honkbal en de cruciale rol die het heeft gespeeld bij het bevorderen van de Amerikaanse burgerrechten. In 1920 werd de Negro National League opgericht in de Paseo YMCA van Kansas City - een gebouw dat nog steeds in de buurt staat, tegenover het NLBM.

In de jaren en decennia die volgden, werd honkbal in de Negro League enorm populair, maar de bredere patronen van discriminatie bleven bestaan. Fans die enthousiast naar zwarte spelers op het veld keken, weigerden hen vaak service in restaurants, hotels en andere etablissementen.

Jackie Robinson doorbrak in 1947 de kleurenbarrière in de Major League Baseball toen hij zijn debuut maakte voor de Brooklyn Dodgers, wat uiteindelijk leidde tot volledige integratie en het verdwijnen van de Negro Leagues. Maar het doorzettingsvermogen van vele baanbrekende atleten heeft een erfenis achtergelaten die de sport en de Amerikaanse samenleving voorgoed heeft veranderd.

Nationaal WO I Museum en Monument

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.

Het museum heeft ook de meest diverse collectie voorwerpen en documenten uit de Eerste Wereldoorlog ter wereld. Gasten kunnen zich onderdompelen in deze verhalen met interactieve films, hightech verlichting en speciale effecten, open opslag van artefacten en nog veel meer.

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.

Op een uur ten westen van het centrum van Kansas City kun je de momenten verkennen die hebben geleid tot een van de belangrijkste beslissingen ooit genomen door het Amerikaanse rechtssysteem. Brown v. Board of Education kwam voort uit het schoolsysteem van Topeka, waar lerares en activiste Lucinda Todd 13 families ertoe aanzette om hun kinderen in te schrijven op lokale blanke scholen.

Hun weigering werd de basis van een rechtszaak die doorging tot aan het Hooggerechtshof, waar de rechters unaniem besloten om de "gescheiden maar gelijk" doctrine, die eerder was vastgelegd door Plessy v. Ferguson, te herroepen. De beslissing maakte een einde aan de wettelijke segregatie van het Amerikaanse openbare schoolsysteem en hoewel het leidde tot hevig verzet op locaties in het hele land, blijft het een van de meest ingrijpende acties in de gerechtelijke geschiedenis van het land.

Bezoek het Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park en stap de Monroe School binnen voor een rondleiding op eigen gelegenheid, met een inleidende film van 30 minuten, een tentoonstelling over de lange strijd voor rassengelijkheid in het Amerikaanse schoolsysteem en een verkenning van de blijvende invloed van de beslissing.