Showcasing U.S. History in Iran and American Public Diplomacy’s Limitations, 1950–1965

This article reflects on American actors’ use of the United States’ history and heritage to engage with Iranian audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. In focusing on the United States Information Education and Exchange (USIE) during the 1951–1953 Anglo-Iranian Oil Crisis and the Smithsonian’s initial mid-1960s exhibits in the country, the paper makes three key claims. First, how factors beyond a desire to use American history as a vehicle to promote norms, values, and ideas persuaded USIE and Smithsonian officials towards these types of schemes. Second, the limited and problematic nature of the historical narratives peddled. Finally, how policies attempting to showcase American history and heritage highlights American public diplomacy in Iran’s wider failings.