    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [November 19, 2008]
    [Pages 1378-1380]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Reopening of the National Museum of American History
    November 19, 2008

        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.

    [[Page 1379]]

    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, DC, 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 [Congresswoman]* 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.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *White House correction.
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        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 2\1/2\ 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,

    [[Page 1380]]

    the Gettysburg Address has been memorized by generations of
    schoolchildren--including me and Laura--stands as
    the greatest Presidential speech of all time.
        For 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.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:16 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    G. Wayne Clough, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution; Victoria P. Sant,
    President, National Gallery of Art; and Judy Woodruff, senior
    correspondent, Public Broadcasting Service.