(Exhibition currently traveling throughout the United States: Current venue is the Minnesota History Center, St. Paul, MN. 26 January, 2008 – 4 May 2008)
Most Americans remember exactly where and when they learned about terrorist attacks in America on September 11th, 2001 and regard these events as a turning point that forever changed their sense of security in the United States. Were Americans safe from attack prior to this date? No. History reveals over 125 major incidents of subterfuge, terror, or violence on American soil by enemies within its borders many with deadly consequences and grave impact. Each time, Americans responded with renewed patriotism, determination, and a quandary: how can the country be made more secure without compromising the civil liberties upon which it was founded?
THE ENEMY WITHIN reveals dramatic episodes in American history, from 1776 to the present, when the US was attacked at home. How the country acted -- and sometimes over-reacted-- resulted in the evolution of US counterintelligence and security measures that have positioned the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, and the vigilance of every American, to contend with the enemy within today.
Click here to read the Press Release
Do your students know that September 11th was not the first time that America has experienced an attack on its own soil? The Enemy Within: Terror in America – 1776 to Today traveling exhibition offers teachers and students an unprecedented perspective on terror in American history. The Educator Guide provides educators with a tool to examine the history of terrorism in America and its past, present and future implications. The Guide includes five lesson plans that explore the following themes: reactions to terrorism and resulting legislation; the balance of national security and civil liberties; the accuracy of the media after a terrorist attack and its impact on public perception; the uses of primary documents to assess threats; and motivations of terrorist groups and explorations of ideas for peaceful alternatives. Additionally, a list of ideas that can be further developed into lesson plans, a bibliography and internet resource list, and a matrix of National Curriculum Standards in Social Studies met by the exhibition and Guide are included.
Fragments of the Planes that hit the World Trade Center
(c. 2001)
After the attacks on the World Trade Center, a large recovery operation was launched. This fragment from a plane unearthed from the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center clearly shows the FBI markings used in the FBI case investigation.
Iver-Johnson .32 Safety Hammer Revolver
(c. 1901)
Standing in a receiving line at the pan-American exposition in Buffalo, NY, Leon Czolgosz shot President McKinley twice with a nickel-plated Iver-Johnson .32 Safety Hammer revolver, like this one, as the president reached to shake his hand. One bullet bounced off a button on the president?s vest; the second penetrated his stomach. McKinley died eight days later from an infection caused by doctors' efforts to recover the bullet.
Ritual Klan Red Robe
(c. 1965)
Founded in 1865, The Ku Klux Klan is the oldest terrorist organization in the United States. The color of a Klansman's robe indicated his rank in the Klan. Rank and file Klansmen wore white; officers wore colors. The Kladd, who wore red robes, were the elected officers who conducted the ceremonies and rituals prescribed in the Klan's most sacred document, The Kloran.
Anarchist Globe Bomb
(c. 1886)
During the nation-wide strike for the 8-hour workday a mass meeting was held in the Chicago Haymarket. A bomb was thrown by an unknown person. Police opened fire; in the end, police and protestors were among the casualties. This bomb, consisting of a hollow lead ball filled with an explosive charge that was ignited by a burning fuse, was designed to be thrown like a grenade. This is a replica of the bomb presented as evidence in the trial of the men tried in connection with the Chicago Haymarket riot.
