Government, Politics, and Reform - Overview George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln are all represented in the
Museum's collections—by a surveying compass, a lap desk, and a
top hat, among other artifacts. But the roughly 100,000 objects
in this collection reach beyond the possessions of statesmen to
touch the broader political life of the nation—in election
campaigns, the women's suffrage movement, labor activity, civil
rights, and many other areas. Campaign objects make up much of
the collection, including posters, novelties, ballots, voting
machines, and many others. A second group includes general
political history artifacts, such as first ladies' clothing and
accessories, diplomatic materials, ceremonial objects, national
symbols, and paintings and sculptures of political figures. The
third main area focuses on artifacts related to political reform
movements, from labor unions to antiwar groups.