Made By Us

By 2026, Made By Us will be a leading catalyst for shaping the future of our country’s democracy by empowering younger generations to know and act on the promise of America’s founding ideals: equality, rights, liberty, opportunity and democracy. We help real people address real issues in real-time—with tools powered by history.

Made By Us is a coalition of over 100 history museums, sites, archives, and youth-focused civic education organizations devoted to educating and empowering the generations that are the future of our country. The initiative is led collectively by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Monticello, the National Archives Foundation, the First Americans Museum, Atlanta History Center, HistoryMiami, Heinz History Center, New-York Historical Society, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History, and Missouri Historical Society.

Made By Us brings together the nation’s history museums and sites in an unparalleled collaboration to better engage Millennials and Gen-Z with American history for informed civic engagement, leading up to the nation’s 250^th anniversary in 2026. Led by familiar names such as the Smithsonian, Monticello and the National Archives, and driven by a coalition of over 90 historic sites, museums and societies nationwide, Made By Us creates programs and digital platforms to connect young people in every corner of the nation with our shared past, present and future. Young people are already shaping our nation and our democracy – Made By Us puts history in their hands as a tool, using technology and pop culture to meet young people where they are, sharing history in the stream of everyday life.