Press Releases

THE ENEMY WITHIN: Terror in America – 1776 to Today Main Release

***A preview for members of the media will be held February 15, 2006, from 1-3 p.m., as artifacts are installed in the exhibit. Please contact Nancy Coggins for more information***

SPECIAL EXHIBIT REVEALS U.S. HISTORY
SHROUDED IN TERROR, YET EVER RESILIENT
Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum first stop on national tour

OKLAHOMA CITY — For most Americans today, terror first came in the instant on April 19, 1995, when a truck bomb exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring hundreds more. THE ENEMY WITHIN: Terror in America –1776 to Today, on display at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, February 19 – August 6, 2006, shows visitors that since the founding of this nation, we have been under attack from forces within.

The journey through this powerful exhibit is as real as history gets. Visitors explore the over 230 years of hatred and terror this country has encountered on its own soil. They will learn about attempts at revolution, sabotage, radicalism, hate and anarchy, and will emerge with pride in a nation that has stood her ground and proven time and time again she will not be defeated.

“This exhibit is a powerful example of the resilience and tenacity of the American people,” said Kari Watkins, Oklahoma City National Memorial executive director. “The ability to see what motivates and drives others to violent acts and experiencing the determination of this country to overcome all obstacles shows visitors the impact of violence and what each person can do to help prevent future acts of terror in America.”
THE ENEMY WITHIN reveals nine major events and periods in U.S. history when Americans were threatened by enemies within its borders. With each major event, guests track the terror as it happened, witness how the government and public responded, and examine the challenge of securing the nation without compromising the civil liberties upon which it was founded.

• The city of Washington captured and the White House burned – August, 24 1814
During the War of 1812, the City of Washington was captured and the White House, Capitol, and other major public buildings were torched by British troops—aided by information provided by a few Americans.

• Manhattan hit by massive explosions in New York Harbor – July 30, 1916
German secret agents, aided by American collaborators, blew up a munitions depot in New York Harbor, showering Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty with shrapnel and debris. Acts of German sabotage on America soil like this contributed to America’s entry into World War I, inspired the passage of the 1917 Espionage Act and the 1918 Sedition Act (both of which were repealed in 1921), and led to the growth of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

• Anarchist bombs target American leaders – June 2, 1919
When the home of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer was bombed by an anarchist and plots for more were revealed, both the public and the government clamored for tighter law enforcement and more restrictive legislation for immigrants, resulting in roundups, deportations and public outrage associated with the now infamous “Palmer Raids.”

• 30,000 Ku Klux Klan members parade down Pennsylvania Avenue – August 8, 1925
The nation’s oldest hate group, Ku Klux Klan, has risen three times in the nation’s history. Each time, the group changed, evolving from small vigilante groups inflicting terror on former slaves after the Civil War to a politically powerful organization of four-million members in the 1920s, expanding its targets to include immigrants, Jews and Catholics. In the 1960s, violent groups of Klansmen attacked African Americans and civil rights workers. Today, a diminished Klan is one of many white supremacist groups.

• American helps Japanese pilot terrorize Hawaiian island after Pearl Harbor attack – December 7, 1941
A Japanese pilot returning from the Pearl Harbor attack, crash-landed on the Hawaiian Island of Nihau, and with the support of a Japanese American, took hostages and terrorized the community. This incident perpetuated unfounded fears about the loyalty of Japanese Americans—fears that ultimately led to the unprecedented incarceration of thousands.

• Kremlin launches one of the first Cold War attacks against the U.S. – April 1945
Near the end of World War II, the Kremlin harshly condemned American Communists for softening their commitment to a worldwide communist revolution. The Communist Party of the United States snapped to action, ousting its moderate leader and reestablishing itself as a highly militant and subversive organization—and fueling America’s fears that American Communists would become Stalin’s tool for the overthrow of the U.S. government.

• Radical group explodes bomb in the U.S. Capitol – March 1, 1971
Protests over the war in Vietnam War and civil rights turned violent during the “days of rage,” and extremist groups, such as the Weather Underground and the Black Liberation Army, took action.
• Massive bomb destroys the Federal Building in Oklahoma City – April 19, 1995
The Oklahoma City bombing, the deadliest act of terrorism on U.S. soil in the 20th century, awakened Americans to the threats posed by domestic extremists—especially the virulently anti-government right-wing groups.

• Beyond September 11th – Terrorism Today
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, initiatives by the U.S. government to root out terrorists elements in the country have irrevocably changed the lives of Americans.

THE ENEMY WITHIN brings these stories to life with historic photographs, themed environments, interactive displays, film, artifacts and video. Exhibit highlights include:
• A timeline that traces over 80 acts of terror that have taken place in the U.S. from the 1776 to today, including the Revolutionary War plot to kidnap George Washington, the events of Bloody Kansas prior to the Civil War, John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry, 1960s Church bombings in the South, and the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001.

• APL badge and ID card (1917) – carried by Operatives of the American Protective League (APL) who spied on their fellow Americans on behalf of the U.S. Justice Department during World War I.

• Anarchist globe bomb (c. 1886) – presented as evidence in the trial of the men tried in connection with the Chicago Haymarket riot (replica).

• Ritual Klan red robe (c. 1965) – worn by the Klan “Kladd,” the elected Klan officer who presided over the secret rituals and ceremonies of the Ku Klux Klan.

• Klan “business cards” – ominous warnings to innocent Americans that their every move was being “watched.”

• Weather Underground video presentation – featuring an exclusive interview with ex-Weather Underground member Bernadine Dohrn, filmed for the exhibition.

• Fragments of the planes that hit the World Trade Center (2001) – recovered following the attacks on September 11, 2001 and used as evidence by the FBI in their ensuing investigation.

• Under Siege – a powerful eight-minute film exploring the terrorist threat today, initiatives by the U.S. government to root out terrorists elements in the U.S., the balance between civil liberties and national security, and the impact on the daily lives of Americans.

• Visitor polling station – this unique computer interactive provides visitors the opportunity to express their own opinions on questions raised in the exhibition about how the nation has responded to the historical events presented. The questions were developed in consultation with The Gallup Organization, and additional historical questions enable visitors to see how Americans responded to similar questions posed by The Gallup Poll at that time in history.

“As Americans, it is important for us to understand why certain people turn to violence as a means to effect change in government,” Watkins said. “We owe it to ourselves and to this country to learn why this happens and to find the means to prevent it in the future. This exhibit is a good step in providing a clearer understanding of these incidents and the reaction of this nation to these threats.”

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is commemorating the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Memorial Museum by hosting THE ENEMY WITHIN. It is the first in a series of three national exhibits the museum will display in the coming months.

THE ENEMY WITHIN is presented locally by Chesapeake Energy Corporation, Devon Energy Corporation, Kerr-McGee Corporation and The Oklahoman. Additional support has been provided by Bexalel Foundation, BlueCross BlueShield of Oklahoma, Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation and Merrick Foundation.

Admission to this special exhibit is free with general Memorial Museum admission. Admission to the Memorial Museum is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for students. Special rates and programs are available for school groups of 10 or more students and adult groups of 20 or more. Memorial Museum hours are Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Ticket sales end daily at 5 p.m.
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created to honor “those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever” by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing about events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring hope and healing through lessons learned by those affected.
For more information on the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, call 888.542.HOPE or visit www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org.
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