My three takeaways:

1. A rich man in Britain died and left a large sum of money to the US Government. The amount was about 2% of America’s GDP
2. Took Congress 8 years to decide what do do with the generous donations. President Polk signed the Smithsonian act which allowed the funds to be used for research, museums, and the expansion of knowledge,
3. Nicknamed America’s Attic. The red building in DC is iconic and was their first building they constructed.