Can argue every year should be. This is incredibly special for all of us in america, especially at the smithsonian. We are bound together in celebrating the american womens History Initiative throughout the Smithsonian History Museum and online, and all of the activities, and here at the American History museum, we are particularly grateful to have three exhibitions opening. Spurring really from this one. This is democracy in america, the great leap of faith that opened a few years ago. Im in the gallery that takes us through the long and arduous and continuing effort to expand democracy to enfranchise more and more americans. As you might know, early on, only white men with property were able to vote. Throughout the 19th century, the long battle expanding that suffrage to slaves, previous slaves, and women, culminating finally in 1920 with the ratification of the 19th amendment. Not guaranteeing women the right to vote, but barring the federal government and states against voters beca
Papers. That is because a title announces what is at stake for a lease hopefully announces what is at stake. I hope as nature as a saint, is that kind of title. You may think because the lecture is about melville, that it is a melville quote, but it is a walt emerson quote. Someone who was addressing some of the same kind of questions and concerns that melville was. Though nature as we know it is drawn rum Ralph Waldo Emersons essay called experience in 1884. He is trying to say what would our lives we like. How would we make sense of ourselves. How would we make sense of our world world. That is to say, we did not have our inherited elysian telling us how to make sense of our religion. We didnt have europe saying to the new world here is how to make sense of yourself and your new world. What would it be like if we took our experience as, in fact, the indication of what and right of what right and wrong is. And then he goes on to show us why that is so hard to do. Yes, experience is a
Is at stake. Saint, isnature as a that kind of title. You may think because the lecture is about melville, that it is a melville quote, but it walt emerson quote. Someone who was addressing some of the same kind of questions and concerns that melville was. Though nature as we know it is drawn rum Ralph Waldo Emersons experience in 1884. He is trying to say what would our lives we like. How would we make sense of ourselves. How would we make sense of our world world. Say, we did not have our inherited elysian telling us how to make sense of our religion. We didnt have europe saying to the new world here is how to make sense of yourself and your new world. What would it be like if we took our experience as, in fact, the indication of what and right of what right and wrong is. And then he goes on to show us why that is so hard to do. Yes, experience is a thorny thing. He wrestles with it in the piece. What i love about this piece is why y the title, which ill explain in a little bit, but
Lease hopefully announces what is at stake. Hopefully, it is colorful and draws you in. I hope as nature as a saint, is nature as we know her is no saint is that kind of title. You may think because the lecture is about melville, that it is a melville quote, but it is a walt emerson quote. A contemporary of melville, someone who was in his intellectual orbit. Someone who was addressing some of the same kind of questions and concerns that melville was. So nature as we know it is drawn from Ralph Waldo Emersons essay called experience in 1884. He is trying to say what would our lives be like . How would we make sense of ourselves . How would we make sense of our moral world if we came into original relationship with the universe . That is to say, we did not have our inherited religion telling us to make sense of our world. We didnt have europe saying to the new world here is how to make sense of yourself and your new world. What would it be like if we took our experience as, in fact, the