Two national "Freedom Trains" have toured the United States, showcasing historical artifacts and Americana: the 1947–49 original and the 1975–76 American Freedom Train, which celebrated the Bicentennial, with a third planned for 2026. The first train, proposed in 1946 by Attorney General Tom C. Clark, aimed to reignite appreciation for American liberties post-World War II and was organized by the American Heritage Foundation, whose board included prominent figures like John Foster Dulles and Reinhold Niebuhr.
Crucially, the 1940s Freedom Train was an integrated exhibit, leading to significant controversy when it controversially skipped planned stops in Birmingham, Alabama, and Memphis, Tennessee, after local officials refused to allow black and white visitors to view the exhibits simultaneously. While displaying key documents like the Emancipation Proclamation, the Foundation faced criticism for excluding other civil rights and labor-related documents, focusing instead on a campaign described as "selling America to Americans."