{"id":7041899,"date":"2026-08-19T16:51:55","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T16:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/american-history\/everyday-democracy-how-johnson-county-has-lived-and-tested-americas-founding-ideals\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T16:51:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T16:51:55","slug":"everyday-democracy-how-johnson-county-has-lived-and-tested-americas-founding-ideals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7041899","title":{"rendered":"Everyday Democracy: How Johnson County Has Lived \u2014 and Tested \u2014 America\u2019s Founding Ideals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The Museum\u2019s new special exhibit, <em>Everyday Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Johnson County<\/em>, explores a powerful idea: democracy isn\u2019t only debated in Congress or written about in founding documents. It is lived \u2013 imperfectly and persistently \u2013 in everyday decisions, actions, and encounters within our own communities. \u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5537\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/03\/02\/everyday-democracy-how-johnson-county-has-lived-and-tested-americas-founding-ideals\/1-everyday-democracy-intro\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-everyday-democracy-intro.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"4000,3000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-S901U&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1772455736&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5.4&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0083333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1 Everyday Democracy intro\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;\u201cEveryday Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Johnson County\u201d is a new special exhibit from the Johnson County Museum. It is included in regular Museum admission. You can plan your visit at JCPRD.com\/Museum!&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-everyday-democracy-intro.jpg?w=390\" width=\"4000\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-everyday-democracy-intro.jpg\" alt=\"Color photograph showing the entrance to the Everyday Democracy exhibit, with a introduction cabinet with &quot;We the People...&quot; lit up, and a wall featuring photos of faces from Johnson County's history behind it.\" class=\"wp-image-5537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-everyday-democracy-intro.jpg 4000w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-everyday-democracy-intro.jpg?w=128&amp;h=96 128w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-everyday-democracy-intro.jpg?w=390&amp;h=293 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-everyday-democracy-intro.jpg?w=768&amp;h=576 768w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-everyday-democracy-intro.jpg?w=1440&amp;h=1080 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Everyday Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Johnson County<em> is a new special exhibit from the Johnson County Museum. It is included in regular Museum admission. You can plan your visit at JCPRD.com\/Museum!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The lofty ideals set forth in 1776 in the Declaration of Independence have never been static. In Johnson County, they have been embraced, expanded, contested, and at times denied. Residents have worked together \u2013 and sometimes against one another \u2013 to define what Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness truly mean here. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Importantly, a 2025 study from the Pell Center\u2019s Nationhood Lab reveals that 97% of Americans agree it is our duty to protect each other\u2019s rights to these founding principles. Even more striking, 63% said it is not shared history or culture that unites us but shared civic ideals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Everyday Democracy <\/em>brings that idea home. The exhibit shares stories that are both inspiring and sobering \u2013 moments when Johnson Countians upheld democratic ideals, and moments when we fell short. Here are five episodes featured in the exhibit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Liberty and Equality, Denied<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Despite Kansas\u2019s reputation as the \u201cFree State,\u201d freedom and equality were not guaranteed in practice. Between March and June of 1867, four lynchings of Black residents occurred in Johnson and Wyandotte counties. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5539\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/03\/02\/everyday-democracy-how-johnson-county-has-lived-and-tested-americas-founding-ideals\/2-atchison-daily-patriot-2-1871-armstrong\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-atchison-daily-patriot-2.1871-armstrong.png\" data-orig-size=\"532,727\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2 Atchison Daily Patriot 2.1871 Armstrong\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The Atchison Daily Patriot in February 1871 included a disturbing racial violence incident in Shawnee. Courtesy Newspapers.com.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-atchison-daily-patriot-2.1871-armstrong.png?w=390\" width=\"390\" height=\"532\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-atchison-daily-patriot-2.1871-armstrong.png?w=390\" alt=\"Black and white scan of a newspaper article reading: A Fatal Muss. The Olathe Mirror of the 26th , states that at a school near Shawnee some trouble arose in regard to the attendance of colored children with white. An old colored man by the name of Armstrong came to Olathe last week, and had a warrant issued for the arrest of a young man said to have been implicated in these school troubles. This was on Thursday. On Friday morning a mob went to the residence of the colored man, tore down his house, committed other depredations, and then closed up their entertainment by killing Armstrong. He died Friday afternoon at the residence of Mr. Vestal. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of three persons identified as being present at the time of the shooting.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-5539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-atchison-daily-patriot-2.1871-armstrong.png?w=390 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-atchison-daily-patriot-2.1871-armstrong.png?w=70 70w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2-atchison-daily-patriot-2.1871-armstrong.png 532w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The <\/em>Atchison Daily Patriot<em> in February 1871 included a disturbing racial violence incident in Shawnee. Courtesy Newspapers.com.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">In 1871, when Black children faced intimidation and segregation at a local school, a Black Shawnee resident known only as Armstrong sought help from law enforcement. In retaliation, white residents attacked him and his home, killing him. The only known account survives in a newspaper article from the <em>Atchison Daily Patriot<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Armstrong\u2019s story reminds us that the promise of liberty \u2014 declared in 1776 but unevenly protected in practice \u2014 was not extended to all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The New Deal Puts People to Work<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The 1930s brought the Great Depression, a period of widespread unemployment, poverty, and economic uncertainty. For many Americans \u2013 especially Johnson County\u2019s already impoverished rural farmers \u2013 the era was one of intense privation summarized best by the era\u2019s famous motto, \u201cUse it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.\u201d <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5541\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/03\/02\/everyday-democracy-how-johnson-county-has-lived-and-tested-americas-founding-ideals\/3-opl0231-screenshot-2025-08-28-083836\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3-opl0231-screenshot-2025-08-28-083836.png\" data-orig-size=\"1006,648\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"3 OPL0231 Screenshot 2025-08-28 083836\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) offered employment through infrastructure work. Gardner Lake was a WPA project, and this photo shows the WPA encampment nearby. Courtesy Olathe Public Library via www.jocohistory.org. &lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3-opl0231-screenshot-2025-08-28-083836.png?w=390\" width=\"1006\" height=\"648\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3-opl0231-screenshot-2025-08-28-083836.png\" alt=\"Black and white photograph showing a line of men in overalls entering a building at right, with two other bunkhouse-style buildings visible in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-5541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3-opl0231-screenshot-2025-08-28-083836.png 1006w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3-opl0231-screenshot-2025-08-28-083836.png?w=128&amp;h=82 128w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3-opl0231-screenshot-2025-08-28-083836.png?w=390&amp;h=251 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3-opl0231-screenshot-2025-08-28-083836.png?w=768&amp;h=495 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1006px) 100vw, 1006px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) offered employment through infrastructure work. Gardner Lake was a WPA project, and this photo shows the WPA encampment nearby. Courtesy Olathe Public Library via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jocohistory.org\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/www.jocohistory.org<\/a>. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">To help struggling Americans, President Franklin Roosevelt\u2019s administration launched the New Deal, a slate of federal programs meant to put people back to work and help economic recovery. The Works Progress Administration (WPA), for example, provided jobs and improved local infrastructure. Projects such as Gardner Lake employed over 250 laborers, who lived in Transient Camp #9 (pictured above) and received housing, clothing, food, and medical care while earning between $1 and $3 per day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">In a time of crisis, these efforts gave residents \u2013 who sought basic survival not lofty ideals at the time \u2013 work, purpose, and hope during a time of national hardship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Restricted Suburbs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As Johnson County transformed from farmland to suburb in the early 20th century, developers such as J.C. Nichols and William Strang promised a better life through homeownership.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Yet that promise was not extended to everyone. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5542\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/03\/02\/everyday-democracy-how-johnson-county-has-lived-and-tested-americas-founding-ideals\/4-pv-abstract-combined\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4-pv-abstract-combined.png\" data-orig-size=\"616,875\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"4 PV abstract combined\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This property abstract for a residential lot in Prairie Village includes a racially restrictive covenant in its declaration of restrictions. This property law mechanism prevents owners from selling to any prohibited people. Johnson County Museum&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4-pv-abstract-combined.png?w=390\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"616\" height=\"875\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4-pv-abstract-combined.png\" alt=\"Yellowed paper document with typewritten words outlining the location and use of a piece of property, with the racially restrictive language reading &quot;Section 2. Ownership by Negroes Prohibited. None of said land may be conveyed to, used, owned, or occupied by negroes as owners or tenants.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-5542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4-pv-abstract-combined.png 616w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4-pv-abstract-combined.png?w=68&amp;h=96 68w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4-pv-abstract-combined.png?w=390&amp;h=554 390w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>This property abstract for a residential lot in Prairie Village includes a racially restrictive covenant in its declaration of restrictions. This property law mechanism prevents owners from selling to any prohibited people. Johnson County Museum<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Racially restrictive covenants \u2013 written into property deeds \u2013 barred African Americans and other potential homebuyers of color from purchasing homes in many neighborhoods. By 1950, such restrictions applied to 96% of Johnson County\u2019s suburban neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">For white families, homeownership was advertised as a pathway to freedom and opportunity. For others, it was legally denied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">To learn more about racial restrictions in Johnson County and the history of federal redlining programs, explore the digital version of the Museum\u2019s award-winning <em>REDLINED: Cities, Suburbs, and Segregation<\/em> exhibit at JCPRD.com\/Redlined.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Supporting the Right to Fair Trial<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Rev. Dr. Robert \u201cBob\u201d Meneilly, longtime pastor at Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, never shied away from what he considered moral action, even when it was unpopular at the time. In 1971, Meneilly supported his church council\u2019s request to provide $10,000 from its Defense Fund for Angela Davis\u2019 legal defense in California. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5545\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/03\/02\/everyday-democracy-how-johnson-county-has-lived-and-tested-americas-founding-ideals\/5-robe\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5-robe.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"3600,4800\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.78&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 15 Pro&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1770399248&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;6.7649998656528&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0083333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;latitude&quot;:&quot;38.969261111111&quot;,&quot;longitude&quot;:&quot;-94.668205555556&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"5 robe\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This robe belonged to Rev. Dr. Robert \u201cBob\u201d Meneilly, of the Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village. Rev. Meneilly was an outspoken advocate of equal rights and protection under the law.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5-robe.jpeg?w=390\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"390\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5-robe.jpeg?w=390\" alt=\"Color photograph of a white pastor's robe and multi-colored stoll on display in the exhibit.\" class=\"wp-image-5545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5-robe.jpeg?w=390 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5-robe.jpeg?w=780 780w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5-robe.jpeg?w=72 72w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5-robe.jpeg?w=768 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 390px) 100vw, 390px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>This robe belonged to Rev. Dr. Robert \u201cBob\u201d Meneilly, of the Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village. Rev. Meneilly was an outspoken advocate of equal rights and protection under the law.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Davis, a Black Marxist and feminist activist with a doctorate in philosophy, faced charges related to purchasing firearms later used in a courtroom hostage situation (Davis was not involved in the event). She, her family, and her legal team insisted that racism and politics motivated the criminal charges against her. Davis was ultimately acquitted on all counts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">For his stance, Meneilly received letters from both supporters and detractors. One self-identified Black woman wrote to congratulate Meneilly, saying \u201cyour thinking should be the way everybody should look at human beings\u2026 I applaud you for your courageous stand.\u201d Another individual wrote to wish Davis great harm, suggesting to Meneilly \u201cyour \u2018church\u2019 too should be severely disciplined.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Despite such differing opinions, in June 1971, Meneilly preached, \u201c<em>I have to ask myself: can she have a fair trial? Most of the folks around here who have expressed disgust for the church involving itself have already judged Dr. Davis as absolutely guilty\u2026 is that a fair trial? We cannot limit justice for those with whom we agree, or there is no justice for any of us.<\/em>\u201d Meneilly\u2019s sermon touched on the idea that all of us are responsible for upholding fundamental rights for one another. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Women Seeking Equal Rights<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"5547\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/2026\/03\/02\/everyday-democracy-how-johnson-county-has-lived-and-tested-americas-founding-ideals\/6-era-docs\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6-era-docs.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"4000,3000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;1.8&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;SM-S901U&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1772455573&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5.4&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0083333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"6 ERA docs\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) pamphlets on display in the \u201cEveryday Democracy\u201d exhibit are from the League of Women Voters of Johnson County collection at the Museum. They represent different points of view on the ERA movement.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) pamphlets on display in the \u201cEveryday Democracy\u201d exhibit are from the League of Women Voters of Johnson County collection at the Museum. They represent different points of view on the ERA movement.&lt;\/p&gt;&#10;\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6-era-docs.jpg?w=390\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"4000\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6-era-docs.jpg\" alt=\"Colorful photograph of five ERA pamphlets on display in the exhibit. Their titles read &quot;You Can't Fool Mother Nature.&quot; &quot;For full and permanent equality... the Equal Rights Amendment.&quot; &quot;ERA is a bread and butter issue.&quot; &quot;Spirit of '76 Equality.&quot; &quot;Johnson County Voter: National Board proposes League of Women Voters prepare for one 'hell of a fight'.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-5547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6-era-docs.jpg 4000w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6-era-docs.jpg?w=128&amp;h=96 128w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6-era-docs.jpg?w=390&amp;h=293 390w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6-era-docs.jpg?w=768&amp;h=576 768w, https:\/\/jocohistory.wordpress.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/6-era-docs.jpg?w=1440&amp;h=1080 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) pamphlets on display in the \u201cEveryday Democracy\u201d exhibit are from the League of Women Voters of Johnson County collection at the Museum. They represent different points of view on the ERA movement. Johnson County Museum.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 granted women the right to vote. But equality under the law remained incomplete.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">First introduced in 1923 and passed by both houses of Congress in 1972, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed constitutional amendment that sought to guarantee equal rights regardless of sex. Despite support, it did not receive enough state ratifications by the deadline to become law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">A robust archival collection assembled by the League of Women Voters of Johnson County contains pamphlets and publications both supporting and opposing the amendment, circulated in the county in the 1970s. These documents reflect a community wrestling with questions about gender equality and social change. Women \u2013 locally and nationally \u2013 continued to advocate for equal pay and legal protections, though frustrations \u2013 including the ERA\u2019s failure \u2013 persist to this day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Your Everyday Democracy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">These stories \u2013 spanning more than 100 years \u2013 show that democracy is not self-executing. It requires participation, vigilance, courage, and sometimes uncomfortable reflection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Everyday Democracy <\/em>invites you to explore what Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness have meant in this place, and to consider what they mean now, and in the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The exhibit is included in regular Museum admission and is open Monday through Saturday, 9am to 4:30pm. The Museum offers quarterly community Free Days, including March 19, June 6, September 12, and November 25.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">To plan your visit, go to JCPRD.com\/Museum. You can also view the exhibit\u2019s content online at JCPRD.com\/everydaydemocracy.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Museum\u2019s new special exhibit, Everyday Democracy: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness in Johnson County, explores a powerful idea: democracy isn\u2019t only debated in Congress or written about in founding documents. 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