American Enterprise

Smithsonian National Museum of American History

The National Museum of American History is planning an important new exhibition for 2014 that will explore a key area of the American experience—the history of business and innovation. Entitled "American Enterprise," the exhibition will look at how the United States developed from a loosely integrated set of colonies and frontier people to the most influential national economy in the world. It will present the benefits, failures, and unanticipated consequences of the nation’s business development. The central theme of the exhibition will be the American marketplace–the dynamic interplay of consumers and producers.