If they've not yet learned these lessons about the heroic men and women who've gone on before them. Unfortunately, as I indicated a moment ago, the Smithsonian has strayed from its original reason for being. The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846 for the express purpose of increasing the diffusion of knowledge among men. It was founded as a gift by James Smithson, who devised his entire estate to the United States government. Congress, as we now know, accepted this gift and provided for its governance and its financing. (02:43–02:56)
CLAIM
Asserts that the Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846 to increase the diffusion of knowledge.
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