Americans have fought to establish the nation’s independence, determine its borders, define freedoms, and defend interests around the globe. This exhibition at the National Museum of American History examines how wars have shaped the nation’s history and transformed American society. The interactive timeline provides a jumping off point for each war. Visitors can get an overview for each with a short video that provides context to the conflict, or navigate chronologically from one object to the next against the backdrop of the exhibition story. There is unmediated access to the collection for visitors to search, explore, and discover objects or they can enjoy interpretive tracks that help contextualize the objects and their significance. Visitors can examine intricate details of every artifact, and the learning resources section provides special interactives for the classroom or visitors looking to enhance their experience.