Media Alert
June 26, 2023
Taylor Fuqua, Manager of PR & Marketing; tfuqua@VirginiaHistory.org; 804.342.9661
Richmond, Va. – This Fourth of July, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) will launch a major three-year initiative to lead Virginia and the nation in marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, a once-in-a-generation moment that brings with it countless opportunities for celebration, reflection, and education.
To kick off this initiative, the VMHC announces longtime partner, the John Marshall Center for Constitutional History & Civics (JMC), will join its organization, effective July 4, to create an innovative new civics education center that will revolutionize civics education in the Commonwealth, empowering history and civics to work together to inspire and educate current and future generations. Through this rare joining of two private non-profit organizations, the VMHC will bring important educational programming to an increasing number of students and adult learners across Virginia and beyond. This development becomes reality after many years of collaboration and more recent consideration of how the two organizations might be stronger together. Their shared history and aspirations, as well as the fundamental link between history and civics, make this an ideal move that will serve more Virginians than ever before.
Beginning this July 4, with its annual Naturalization Ceremony at 10 a.m., the museum will launch a series of special programs and initiatives in the lead-up to July 4, 2026. This ambitious plan includes a multi-year portfolio of major exhibitions, public programs and events, publications, and far-reaching educational initiatives.
“We must embrace this historic moment—extraordinary in our lifetimes—and act upon it by together renewing our commitment to the unfinished pursuit of a more perfect union,” said VMHC President & CEO Jamie Bosket in a statement about the rare opportunity this milestone presents. “We need to reflect deeply on our past and invest with great purpose in our future, which is why your state history museum is preparing a major multi-year investment to mark this special anniversary.”
Building on the recent success of its newly renovated headquarters in Richmond, the VMHC’s trusted voice will help Virginians and Americans connect with their compelling and collective story, will shine a light on the founding of our nation, much of which occurred in Virginia, and will tell the story of the dramatic journey over the ensuing centuries.
One of the nation’s oldest historical institutions and the oldest in the Commonwealth, the VMHC was founded in 1831 with, rather fittingly in this context, Chief Justice John Marshall as its first president. For nearly two centuries, the museum has increasingly served Virginians through its preservation and education mission. Today, the museum stewards one of the finest historical archives in the nation, totaling more than nine million items. Now, the archives of JMC will join those of the VMHC, and together will inform compelling history and civics programming that serves both current and future generations.
Founded in 1987, the JMC has done exceptional work in both advancing knowledge of constitutional history and civics and in documenting the life and legacy of Chief Justice John Marshall. Programs for students, like Justice in the Classroom and PopCiv, provide the essential lessons needed for a sound understanding and appreciation of the rule of law, constitutional rights and responsibilities, and the core functions and history of our government. Public programs like the Marshall Scholar Series convene learners of all ages in meaningful, non-partisan dialogue about the judiciary, constitutional history, and the state of our union.
By becoming a signature study center within Virginia’s history museum, the JMC gains tremendous new scope and scale at a particularly opportune time, and VMHC is empowered to do something truly impactful and lasting for America’s 250th—to be a new hub for history and civics taught in unison and provided for the benefit of all people, launched at a time when far too few Americans know the basics of history and civics. A recent report on civics awareness issued by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center noted that less than half (47 percent) of U.S. adults could name all three branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial). One in four respondents could not identify even one. Only one in four U.S. adults could name a single right named in the First Amendment (freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government).
Recent findings from the U.S. Department of Education showed that student proficiency in civics and in history have declined to levels unseen since testing began in the 1990s. The VMHC is focused on supporting student awareness across the Commonwealth.
In addition to this major investment in civics and history education, the VMHC will mount two major exhibitions, in 2025 and in 2026, with traveling versions moving around the state. The VMHC will also host a number of public programs and lectures and publish a series of new scholarly works focused on early American history.
For more information, please visit VirginiaHistory.org/Civics.
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is the only institution dedicated to presenting the entire history of Virginia over time and across regions. Its nationally significant collection of more than 9 million objects, renowned research library, galleries and public programs demonstrate the centrality of Virginia to the narrative of the United States.
The VMHC is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society — a private, non-profit organization established in 1831. The historical society is the oldest cultural organization in Virginia and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the nation.