August 10, 2026: Free, Out of Spite

A man who was never allowed to use his own father's name decided, quietly and without explanation, exactly whose name would be remembered instead.

On August 10, 1846, President James K. Polk signed the Smithsonian Institution Act into law, formally establishing an institution funded entirely by a stranger. British scientist James Smithson, who died in 1829 having never once visited the United States, left his fortune to America with a single vague condition attached and no stated reason why, and Congress spent eight years, and nearly lost the money entirely to bad investments, figuring out what to build with it. What resulted is now the largest museum and research complex on earth, free to enter since the day it opened.

This is bsnsHistory, the daily podcast about the moments when business quietly reshaped the world.

Written and hosted by Ron Trucks. Research and editing by Rodney Russ. Sound design by Angela Cahoy. Music by Cody Martin and Soundstripe.

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