Voices and Votes: Democracy in America
Preservation Long Island Exhibition Gallery
March 23 to May 5, 2024
Voices and Votes: Democracy in America takes a broad look at the nearly 250-year-old American experiment of a government “of, by and for the people.” From the revolution and suffrage to civil rights and casting ballots, everyone in every community is part of this ever-evolving story—the story of democracy in America. The exhibition explores the origins of American democracy, the struggles to obtain and keep the vote, the machinery of democracy, the right to petition and protest beyond the ballot, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Objects from the collections of Preservation Long Island and the East Hampton Library, including two original works by Jupiter Hammon, America’s first published African American poet, will connect these larger historical themes to local stories, people, and events.
“A New Agora for New York: Museums as Spaces for Democracy” has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This project is supported by a grant awarded to the Museum Association of New York by Empire State Development and I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.
Voices and Votes has been made possible in New York State by the Museum Association of New York. Voices and Votes: Democracy in America is part of Museum on Main Street (MoMS), a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide.
Support for MoMS in New York State has been provided by the United States Congress, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. To learn more visit museumonmainstreet.org, sites.si.edu, or nysmuseums.org.
