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Smithsonian Institutue

br The Smithsonian Institution : A History The Smithsonian Institution is one of the best-known names among American museums . Located in Washington , D .C , the Smithsonian Institution is actually eighteen different museums , each focusing on a particular theme . It is a uniquely American museum , celebrating all things American , from its art to its architecture to its man-made and natural history . With over one hundred forty-two million items housed throughout its many collections , the Smithsonian Institution is one of the more popular tourist draws in the nation 's capital . Tens of thousands of

visitors from all walks of life come every year to see such treasures as Mister Rogers 's sweater , the original Star Spangled Banner , and genuine dinosaur skeletons . The Smithsonian Institution is a national icon

The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1843 by an act of Congress (Dease 1996 . This act came about through a bequest eight years previously from John Smithson , a British scientist who had never visited the United States . Smithson had no heirs himself and only one nephew In his will , Smithson declared that if his nephew were to die without heirs (and that is exactly what happened , then his vast personal fortune was to go to the United States of America for the purpose of increasing and disseminating knowledge throughout that country Congress passed the act that established the Smithsonian Institution I n1943 , and this act was signed into law by president James Polk in 1846 The Smithsonian Institution 's main building on the National Mall in Washington , D .C . was completed in 1855 . This building is also referred to as The Castle , due to its castle-like appearance . The Smithsonian Institution is administered and funded by both the government of the United States and by money from its endowment , as well as private and corporate contributions and profits from its gift shops and the Smithsonian magazine this unique blend of funding makes the Smithsonian a public /private hybrid institution

Originally intended to be a scientific institution for serious research , it was not long before it was clear that the Smithsonian was in fact , becoming a world-class museum . All sorts of uniquely American artifacts found their way into its ever-increasing collections . For example , when the United States navy went on a mission to circumnavigate the globe between 1838 and 1842 , the members of this expedition collected thousands of different types of animals , plants , minerals and other items from around the world (Goode 1897 . Much of this collection ended up in the Smithsonian Institution . The gradual westward expansion of the United States produced a lot of exploratory missions and surveys to that part of the country , and these activities resulted in a large number of Native American and other natural artifacts becoming a part of the Smithsonian Institution . Other items of interest and note gradually found their way into the Smithsonian , including dinosaur fossils political and historical memorabilia , and pop culture items from various eras

Technically and legally , the Smithsonian Institution is a part of the federal government of...

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