Sam Rayburn Museum

06/24/2026

8. Fifteenth Amendment, 1870

The Fifteenth Amendment prohibits states from denying the right to vote on the grounds of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” The amendment was meant to protect citizens’ voting rights, but some states, including the former Confederate states, still found ways to disqualify voters based on race and economic status. These states adopted new state constitutions and passed laws, known as Jim Crow laws, that created obstacles, like poll taxes and literary tests, to prevent citizens from registering to vote. The laws were usually written to seem non-racial but were applied in ways that selectively suppressed certain voters. At the time, the Supreme Court typically upheld the states’ right to determine a voter’s eligibility, even if it resulted in discrimination. It wasn’t until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that these laws were ruled unconstitutional.

06/23/2026

If you’re in the Uvalde area, swing by and check out our sister site and their current exhibit.

Fun fact: JFK was a natural speed reader, reportedly reading around 1,200 words per minute. Come explore our current exhibit in Uvalde at the Briscoe-Garner Museum and discover more about JFK’s journey to the White House—before it’s gone!

06/16/2026

The Sam Rayburn Museum will closed on Friday, June 19, 2026 observance of Emancipation Day. The Museum will resume normal operating hours at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

06/11/2026

7. Fourteenth Amendment Part 2, 1868

Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment defines anyone born or naturalized in the U.S as a U.S. citizen. This section also prohibits states from depriving anyone of their civil rights and requires states to provide equal protection under the law to all people living in the state. Section 2 declared that representation in the House will be determined by a states’ full adult male population but allowed states to deny voting rights to criminals. Section 3 disqualifies anyone “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the U.S.” from holding state or federal office. Meant to punish Confederate officials, Congress eventually exempted anyone disqualified because of the Civil War, modifying the clause to apply to participation in future rebellion or insurrection. Section 4 confirmed the public debt Congress generated during the Civil War, while also declining to compensate slaveowners for losses caused by emancipation. Section 5 authorized Congress to pass any additional legislation needed to enforce the provisions of the amendment.

06/09/2026

Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation Gives $1.1 Million to the Briscoe Center for Rayburn Museum

BONHAM, TX – June 8, 2026 The Kate Marmion Charitable Foundation has made a generous $1.1 million gift to support the Briscoe Center for American History at The University of Texas at Austin, which in turn will use this gift to support capital improvements critical preservation needs, including fo...

05/29/2026

6. Fourteenth Amendment Part 1, 1868

The Fourteenth Amendment is one of three Reconstruction Amendments ratified in the five years immediately following the Civil War that were aimed at ensuring the freedom and civil rights of formerly enslaved persons. The Fourteenth Amendment is considered one of the most significant because it addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law. Although it faced heavy opposition, especially in the South, its passage was assisted by the requirement that former Confederate states ratify the amendment to regain congressional representation. The Fourteenth Amendment, especially the first section, is also one of the most argued parts of the Constitution, forming the foundation for several landmark Supreme Court decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and Roe v. Wade (1973).

Map courtesy of Discover Stafford Museum, Stafford, VA

05/25/2026

The Museum will be closed today 5/25/26

05/15/2026

5. District of Columbia Suffrage Act, 1867

The District of Columbia Suffrage Act granted voting rights to all males over the age of 21 in the District of Columbia. The privilege was denied to "welfare or charity cases, those under guardianship, those convicted of major crimes and those who had voluntarily sheltered Confederate troops or spies during the Civil War.” The law had no race-based restrictions, making it the first law passed in the U.S. guaranteeing African Americans the right to vote in public elections.

05/06/2026

Museum Hours for Saturday, May 9, 2026 will be 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
Thank you

05/05/2026