Since were doing toasts tonight, i did i already planned this and thought a toast might be in order but when i was going through my personal history mentioning important dates, i neglected to mention that this half of this week happens to be the 16th anniversary of my marriage to my lovely wife, tracy lee. Which occurred just across the street in Buffalo Bills poker church. Yeah. I take this western stuff seriously. [applause] talk about longsuffering women. If i might, ladies and gentlemen, as we bring this fabulous conference to a close, i would like to offer a toast to and i hate to drink it in water because like bill would just slap me. I would like to offer a toast to the founder of the feast, ladies and gentlemen, to william f. Cody, to buffalo bill. All right. Thank you. Are watching American History tv, 48 hours of programming on American History, every weekend on the spent three. Follow us on twitter at cspan history for tonight on q a come up with take a look at anthony clarks book, the last campaign how president s rewrite history and ensuring their legacies. Every single comment i perceived has been up either one or two topics. How angry people learn what happens, or how flabbergasted they are to learn what happens. It is not, mild, it was ok. Why are they angry . They have these present to libraries that house of records and the records wont be open for 100 years for the most recent ones and we are paying for celebration and legacy building. Tonight at 8 00 eastern on cspans q a. Up next on american artifacts, a visit to philadelphias museum of the American Revolution. In the first of a twopart program, we learn about the museums location and design and we tour the exhibit galleries, exploring the origins of the revolution in 1760 up 1776. This really is the most central element of the American Revolution, the birth of our nation, which is why this medium is located here. Just down the street from me is the first bank of the United States. That is Alexander Hamiltons ranch bank when he launched our nations banking system. It is also the first building constructed by the United States of america. So we have truly are or the nation began and it is the right place to tell the entire story of the American Revolution, which is our mission in the museum. Behind me, you see canons from the era, these are part of the city of philadelphias collection. Everyone of these canons are old enough that it could have been used to fight the revolution. On the wall behind me, you see carved in stone, those Core Concepts that rose from the declaration of independence, the inspiring lofty ideals of equality, of freedom, liberty, selfgovernment, the whole purpose of the American Revolution. It began in 1776, but the revolution continues to this day. Over here we have wonderful exterior features of the museum to really help extend our story and use the outside of the building to inform people about the revolution. These are things you will recognize. The first one is a giant sculptural release that replicates the John Trumbull tainting, the decoration of independence. What you are looking at is the drafting committee that wrote the declaration, led by angevin franklin, john adams, and of course, thomas jefferson, presenting their draft to the entire assembled congress in early july, 1776. That launch about three or four days of debate before the language was finalized and voted on on the fourth of july. This sculptural panel really shows you the people who helped create the defining document of the american people. Pen. The power of the it is the idea and concepts of the revolution that made it the most important event and our nations history and one of the most important events in world history, at least modern world history. The second panel we have, same scale, also cast in bronze, tells the other story of the American Revolution. And that is the power of the sword. Of washingtona crossing the delaware. What this represents is the improbable feat of overcoming and odds against the British Military in the battlefield. To georgey do washingtons leadership that we were able to a college that. So the painting really dramatizes washingtons leadership. There are a number of historians that with save there are a number of details of this painting that are inaccurate, that it is actually truthful in capturing washingtons leadership in the purpose and mission of the revolution itself. Those other sculptural pieces are donations to the museum and they were donated to us by a naturalized american, a woman born and raised in china, but now an american citizen. She wanted to give these to the museum, to philadelphia, to the American Public ingratitude of the freedom and life she has been able to live as an american citizen. That is the legacy of our revolution is that we encompass everyone who comes to this nation, no matter when their ancestors came, and they are a part of our nation. If they uphold the values of our founding, then they too are america. Its wonderful to not only present the history of these two panels, but their meaning in terms of significance of the life of the donors today. Having looked at the outside of the museum, lets go in. We are entering into their entrance rotunda of the museum. This is a wonderful, classical, welcoming space. The architecture of the building was selected because he so thoroughly understand vesicle architecture, not that we wanted to copy a building from antiquity, but we wanted the same sense of scale and proportion and stature and he delivered beautifully. In fact, this rotunda is named in his honor. Lets go upstairs. The design of these stairs is curved,nal to evoke the soaring stairways of some of the more elegant Residential Homes of the colonial and early republic. Period. They welcome our visitors to come to the secondfloor atrium when a core of our visitors are. In the atrium, you see paintingst paintings, that are historic and capture the spirit of the American Revolution. The one you are looking at now is by harrington fitzgerald. He is a pennsylvania artist and he painted this in the early 20th century. This is his depiction of Washingtons Army marching into forforge for that what was to be a very terrible winter encampment after the british captured philadelphia. Now behind me is a magnificent painting, but it is a copy. Frenchmanal is by a and the original hangs in versailles. This was created in the middle of a 19th century, this copy was. What it shows is the siege of yorktown. Since a french artist painting this for the king, the most prominent individual is general pink bo, the one in the sash. George washington is the one to the left. It captures the critically Important Role that the french played not only in yorktown, but throughout the American Revolution. One other feature that attracted us to this painting is that it shows a tent. This is really a french tent, it looks more napoleonic, certainly not the kind of tent George Washington would have used, but we love the fact that it did show how armies traveled, living in tents. Since one of the crown jewels of our election is George Washingtons war tent. Stevenson,at scott and we are standing on the second floor of the museum. This is where our court exhibition, just 16,000 square feet of exhibition space wraps around this court that i am standing in. And wer here on my left wrapped around through 16 , behinds and theaters the big painting you see on the south end of the court all the way around and you actually exit just opposite where we are standing here. You enter, the subject of king george the third, when you leave, you are a citizen of the American Republic and republic. 17607090,rrative is but we carry you through to the present day to explore the legacies of the American Revolution. But first we have to step back to 1776 and we start with a recreation of the moment on july 9, 1776, when a group of soldiers and sailors from new york city first heard the words of the decoration of independence and gathered down at the bowling green, which is now near the raging bull on wall street, a landmark familiar to many viewers, and tore down an equestrian statue of king george the third. Really marking the beginning of the war of independence, the beginning of the American Revolution. And so this is really our first gallery displaying objects from the period. We call this world brittania. After you have been in that moment of 1776, we take you back 15 years, really the end of what is known as the seven years war, the french and indian war, the secession of the new king george the third, the first is born monarch in the century. Whichs the period in britain wins this incredible victory in what the king called the first world war. It vastly expanded britains territories from india to africa to the west indies and particularly, north america. More than doubled the territory that britain laid claim over in north america. In the case behind us, we have a collection of objects owned and thatby colonial americans speak to the presence of the king in everyday life. One of the great objects here, this is a castiron fireback made by Oxford Furnace in new jersey in 1746. This is essentially a castiron plate placed in the back of a fireplace that would radiate heat out into the room. As you can see, it includes the arms, the royal arms of the king of england. So an everyday object like this. Right above it is a similar coat of arms for clean and, the anne,queenfou the monarch. This is the type of symbol of the crown that you would have seen in public and private spaces throughout the colonies. It was a reminder of the sovereignty of the king, who was the glue that held society together in this period when they were subject to the crown. We also have objects that introduce you to british euros. So in the upper british heroes. In the upper right, a tavern sign. Generally placed this on loan to the museum. You see a british general who died after being mortally wounded at the battle of quebec in 1759, hoping to capture french canada for the british empire. And he was celebrated by americans. This tavern sign hung in front of the tavern kept by israel putnam, who would be famous as an American General in the revolutionary war, fought in the battle of bunker hill. Our second gallery we titled the price of victory. More empire, more problems. After the british victory in the seven years war, with this vastly expanded empire, particularly in north america, britain faces this challenge. Havinge is excited about this larger empire, but there are now tens of thousands of new subjects. That look to king george the third, desiring him to act as their sovereign or in the case of people who do not recognize the new sovereign, like native americans, at least seeing them as a person who they can ask for assistance with their problems. So you have tens of thousands of native americans, more than 70,000 french catholic and some former spanish colonists who now britain claims as its subjects. Have 2. 5on, you million british colonists, people like George Washington, and the like Benjamin Franklin and others, who fought in a war they believe to enjoy the fruits of that victory in the west. So the king all of a sudden has to face this challenge of, how do i balance the issue the interest of all these subjects . Keep American Indians happy so they dont rise up and cause costly wars on the frontier, that at the same time, honor promises i made to people like George Washington who think they fought this war in order to enjoy this land. What do i do about these french catholic citizens who want to continue to practice their using they are using to french ecclesiastical law. The king has to act as the arbiter of these various people. The price of victory really sets up that problem for the crown. How does it trying to balance these different interests . What is the view from the interior . What is the view from the colonies . What is the view from britain on this problem about the empire . So the object here in the media piece really pull that story apart. For native people, for instance, in 1763, they are the first group of people who really rise up and push back against an increased british control of their lives and a rebellion known as pontiacs rebellion. Guaranty the crown to their sovereignty over their land in the west. Conclude that the best way to get their arms around this new empire is to build forts and stations, more than 10,000 British Regular troops in north america. Not necessarily to oppress colonists, just to keep these various populations separated from one another. That is a very expensive opposition. Theres taxpayers have funded this war, given their National Debt up very high. In the parliament, nobody is thinking, which it continue to tax british taxpayers for this. American colonists have enjoyed the fruits of this victory, we should ask them to contribute. So the idea comes up and eventually passes through parliament what is known as the stamp act. This is the depiction on the wall here of the design of that stamp. This is not the stamp you put on a letter, of course. This is a very old method of taxation, very familiar to british people. Because it was essentially a stamp that was placed on paper, and you can see an original example here, this is a london newspaper in the lower righthand corner. You can see the design stamped on the paper. That meant attacks had been paid on that paper and the newspaper would be printed on. This also applied to parchment you would use for legal documents. It was on playing cards. This was the design for the stamps that would have been used in america to help pay for those british troops that were supposed to police the empire. Of course, this was a challenge for colonial americans to view as they view themselves as transplanted englishman. Any may not have had anguished ancestry whatsoever, that was the remarkable thing about being punished colonists. Whether you were swedish or dutch, you came from any number of european backgrounds, once you become a naturalized citizen, you believe you have these fundamental rights as englishman one of the most fundamental of those is the right not to be taxed without your own consent. That would be given through elected representatives. In britain, thats parliament. In the colonies, the view was through colonial assemblies. So if you come to philadelphia and you visit Independence Hall, we know that as Independence Hall because of something that happened in 7076. Thateople in the period, was the Pennsylvania State house. Thats where the Colonial Legislature met. If you go to boston, the old statehouse, these were the legislative assemblies were men met with an elected. People who could pass taxes and impose taxes on them. So you have to sort of visions of empire that polite in this room. Is the empire going to be managed locally from the colonists or are colonists going to tax themselves and provide the manpower to make decisions about defense . Or is that going to come from above, in this case from parliament . Thats presented by the tax stamp hymie here. The very famous recognizesanklin, he nobody likes taxes, but does not anticipate the absolutely very the human reaction by american taxpayers. He has to recover his revocation a little bit after the stamp act is passed. The decades stretching from the stamp act from 1765 to the outbreak of the revolutionary war in 1775. A room that also introduces one of the exhibition techniques we use, which is to create these immersive spaces to try and make you feel transported back in time. So we recreated here the elder tree that stood in boston in 1765 that became known as the liberty tree. Thatwas a phenomenon spread through other towns and colonies in the period. It was a place where sons and daughters of liberty gathered in an open air, political meetings to talk about how they would react to these efforts are the british to impose taxes to parliament on them. We embedded in the trunk of the street a piece of wood from the last standing liberty tree or it treat. It was tree. It was standing in 1779. Some of the wood was salvaged to it is just a wonderful have kids feel like they are touching a piece of history here. In which is a gallery we explore some of the symbols of the resistance movement, forms of resistance. Not importation, the impulse to boycott goods that were in effect in britain and replaced them with locally made goods. We think nowadays, this by local , by American Movement is something we invented, but this has roots going all the way back to the 1760s. Save your money, save your country. That is actually a slogan from a newspaper in the peri we also haveod. Presentused to political sentiments from the perio. D. Most manufacturers, or politics follow their wallet, so this was made by english or chinese porcelain bowls with arms of liberty printed on it. Is anug in the lower left item from the collection here at the museum of the American Revolution. It says success to the city of boston, liberty forever. Made in england for the american market. This is also a gallery in which you talk about the evolving language of liberty. You see a lot of writings and articulation of new ideas not just about british liberty being restored, but this increasing idea that perhaps there is something called american liberty that is maybe extinct from that in britains. As all of this sort of lofty language is rising. We also want to confront that with the reality that this idea of liberty did not apply to everyone. In this panel here, which we entitled liberty for all, we explore the experience of slavery for people of african descent. And this incredible object that printingis an original of the poems of phyllis wheatley, and enslaved woman who lived in massachusetts. She had been taken into captivity as a child during the french and indian war from africa. She eventually learned to read and write and publish this book of poems and 1773. She signed the flyleaf here. We actually see the signature of phyllis wheatley, this is an incredible list to be able to display this and share this with our visitors. This is actually on the left, an image of her reproduced from the piece of that book that gives us an idea of what she may have looked like. So this gallery concludes with a kind of timeline of events from the Boston Tea Party in december 1773 through the opening shots of the revolutionary war and 1775,nd we of course and we of course show the mounting of an american resistance here. We reproduced from a written description this flag that stood atop a very tall flagpole in taunton, massachusetts in the fall of 1774. You can see, it was red. It flew off the dish ships and off british ports. On it. The union jack i its a good reminder that these were not yet people fighting for independence. There were not trying to found an independent republic. There were trying to restore their right in the british empire. The presence of that union on their flights of protest, it says liberty and union on their, so if it displays the sentiment of british tyranny, but they are still appealing to king george the third. Their quarrel is with parliament, with ministers, not yet with the king. That fight is going to continue to evolve in the next couple of years, but it will eventually turn into what we know as the stars and stripes. There are several steps in that evolution. In his next gallery that we step into, we basically take you out of that decade of resistance as americans are gradually finding themselves more and more alienated from britain and both sides are hardening in their attitudes toward one another. By the fall of 1774, king george feels they have crossed the rubicon, that is really going to be a matter of military showdown to determine whether americans, he feels, are actually trying to found an independent nation, will be able to succeed or not. It is like living on a powder cake and a spark comes powder keg and a power and a spark 1775 when anl expedition of british troops marches out of boston toward concorde, massachusetts, where spies are revealed and the americans have been gathering arms for this military confrontation and the british , the alarm goes out, this is the famous right of paul revere. He was one of dozens of writers. He managed to warn the countryside and there is a competition that takes place at lexington, massachusetts, than a few hours later at the old north bridge in concorde. That is the scene you see playing at here. We actually animated a period engraving of the fight at concorde bridge. That is a place that every american should visit at some point. You can stand on this ground today, you can see the house that stands up on the farm of above the river that still stands there today. And these are all objects which objects to that fighting, whether a piece of wood that is literally one of the diagonal braces from the bridge over the river. 19, 1775. That actually came out of the river in the 1950s. It was right there with the bridge stood. There was only one bridge made of oak that ever stood on that site. The river changed course and they moved the bridge to a different location. It matches perfectly. The location description of the bridge. And objects to the generosity of the Concorde Museum in concorde, massachusetts, which has placed a number of these items on display, supplemented pieces of our own collection. You are able to see all witness items that were there at the fighting on april 19, 1775. The mirror is really fascinating. This has been in a collection of the concorde is him in massachusetts for well over a century. This member was in the home, actually visible in the far left of the scene here in the background of the fighting. And at that house belonged to Catherine David brown. This is actually the fowling piece, or musket he carried in the fighting on april 19. This member was on the wall in the house and on the morning of april 19, british soldiers marched across that bridge and went into the house and one of them took that mirror off the wall and threw it out the door, smashing it in the yard outside. Only one piece of glass was left in it and it was kept as a memento of april 19 by british barberry of the family before it was donated to the museum. Its incredible to actually whichtogether the mirror probably had been separated since captain david browns death in the early 1800s. A little bit of a Family Reunion here for the summer of 2017. So that fighting than brings theiers from up and down east coast together. You think about that gallery that centers on the liberty tree for about a decade. Formed anmericans imagined community. They started to feel empathy for one another and such that when the coercive acts are past and britain is buckled up sorry, britain bottles up boston and shuts the port down, humbled farmers in places like pennsylvania and new jersey will put flour on a lagan and send to the beleaguered subjects who are living in boston. They started to imagine themselves as americans and had this empathy for one another, but what happens is because the fighting sparks and men from all over the colonies stream that theythey find have a ways to go before they see themselves as fellow americans. So this gallery is about the beginning of that question for unity. Is theover the scene next evolution of that flight. He recognized the british canton, this is still a fight to restore the rights as anguish men, but now the 13 alternating red and white stripes resenting the 13 colonies who have joined in union here. We refer to this as a tableau. These are life cast figures. Molds off faces and hands and bodies and very carefully researched and handsewn all of the clothing to compensate for a lack of photographs from the 18th century. But the scene is based on a penchant deposition by a man named israel trask. In 1775, he was this 10yearold boy in the red coat whose father had brought him to work. He was a massachusetts boy, Yankee Fishermen in a regiment from the north shore, north of boston. They encountered a group of virginia rifleman who had come in their, fringe hunting shirts, appearing like American Indians, they come together around the College Buildings in Harvard College at the time, now harvard university. And a fight breaks out from these men. Israel trask, in 1845, remembers that George Washington wrote into this scene, broke up the soldiers fight. This was just a moment where washington was riding home to his brother in virginia, talking about the challenges he was facing to try and get men for which their colony was their country to think of themselves as americans. So we think this is a wonderful storytelling device to point out how long the journey would be, perhaps a journey not even finished yet today. For us all to see ourselves as americans. Espite our diversity each one of our cases in this gallery explores one of the three sort of a participants in this tableau. New englanders, southern rifleman, George Washington himself. In this case, these are items that reflect the sort of military traditions of new and lenders in the period. And the red coat, which is in the back, is one of the few surviving garments from an american recipient in the revolutionary war. That was worn by a man who fought at the battle of bunker hill. Of course, some people say, red coat, isnt that british . Remember, we are all british at this point. This was not a fight for american independence. Beside them was a bible that was carried by another soldier, in this case from ipswich, massachusetts, francis merryfield, who had that in his pocket during the battle of hill. Retreated, when they he sat down and wrote a short account of the fighting at bunker hill. He thanked god for preserving his life, dedicated his life to the glory of god for having saved his life during this terrible battle at bunker hill. So its amazing, tough. So what about the rifleman from the south . This is a great group of objects of theflect the sort Southern Military tradition, maryland, virginia, the backcountry, this is one of only a handful of fringed rifle shirts that have survived. Or four ofnly three these that have survived from the revolutionary era. This is one from the collection of the American Revolution in philadelphia. The rifle is the earliest signed and dated american rifle from made in america, 1761, reading, pennsylvania, a very distinctive type cometh a very accurate firearm used by these rifleman from the seven colonies to try to use the great accuracy of these firearms to compensate for not having as many men as the british army had. Finally, the tombstone that actually stood in the churchyard of Trinity Churchyard near ground zero in new york city. In memory of michael crescent, regimentin of rifle that was raised in maryland. He died in new york in 1775, having marched to boston and then contracting for fever. Thats a great object that remembers michael cresap. Finally, George Washington himself, very generously lending these objects. We brought together for the First Time Since 1776. The portrait of George Washington painted here in philadelphia in the summer of 1776. This was commissioned by john hancock, painted by Charles Wilson appeal. If you see over the shoulder of general washington, that blueribbon. This was a mark that washington purchased in boston in 1775 to distinguish himself. Of course, this is primarily a new england army that virginia has been appointed to command. Toody knows whos in charge the first thing he does is purchased this ribbon to mark him as the commander in chief. Below the portrait is the actual original ribbon which washington gave to the painter, Charles Peele during the revolutionary war. Now it is in the collection of the Harvard Peabody museum. This gallery sort of takes you through the end of 1775 and it is now january of 1776. Our next gallery, which we title revolution everything changed in 1776, really focused on independence and the big change now from appealing to the king to try to resolve these to thinking the king is the enemy and the only solution was to declare independence. One of the things we try to do in this gallery is to try to invert the narrative that many of us were taught in school, which was viewing the declaration of independence as a document sprung from the mind of thomas jefferson, shared with members of congress, passed, then announced to all of us, the citizens of america. We are trying to point out that as jefferson himself said, declaration of independence was and is russian was an expression of the american mind. Other to look at all the declarations of independence that preceded the declaration of independence of july 1776. We do that through this touch creen interactive, where you can scroll through the months from january to july. As i do that, the colonies are populated with these little blue circles. What those are showing you is , localch of the colonies declarations of independence, in this case representatives of Charlotte County voting to support independence on april 23, 7076. South carolina, for instance, a grand jury voting to support independence. These are often actions by courts. The grand jury voting to support independence in april. Pennsylvania, for instance, a military organization like a Militia Group like the Crawford Associates voting to support independence. Itself, which puts the question of independence through all the towns. These are all towns that voted to support independence and instructions to the delegates. So its really extraordinary. You can also explore the opinions of colonial americans. Loyalist, her sentiments on this question. Not everyone was in support of independence. There are those who felt that this was a leap in the dark. Of them literally described it as a leap in the dark and why on earth would you declare independence from the greatest empire in the world . They were behind the resistance movement, but there were those who said they cannot go and actually imagine declaring independence, that that was an act of treason too horrible to imagine. We explore this story through original objects. These are works on paper, actual original printings of the proclamation by king george the third for suppressing rebellion and sedition. This was passed in august. Of 7075. The news of this and king georges speech to parliament delivered in 1775, which declared colonists in rebellion, all arrived in philadelphia in january of 1776. The same week as a pamphlet is published just a block from where we are standing here at the exam of the American Revolution by thomas pain, who is the failed english corset maker. He tried to be a tax elector and it not find his way until he realized he could make an amazing career for himself writing. He wrote a pamphlet called common sense, which in plain everyday language here, and this was an english reprinting of that. You pamphlet, common sense addressed to the inhabitants of america, calls for an independent nation to be created, that all the state should become republics, he rejects monarchy as a system of government and now the king is being cast as an enemy rather than a protector of the people. This is when this becomes an American Revolution. In this gallery, we unpacked the story of the declaration of independence. We have a small theater that explores the actual process of drafting and passing the declaration of independence. We rotate on display printings of the declaration. We are all familiar with the engrossed copy it on parchment we see at the National Archives in washington dc. But other than members of congress, as people have never seen that document. Most people encounter the text of the declaration either from newspaper broadside contains or having it read out loud in their various communities. So we rotate on display different printings of the declaration. Right now, we have one of the rarest. A german link which printing here in the center. There are only two copies of this july, 1776 printing in german that have survived. This has been shared with us by Gettysburg College in pennsylvania. It is sidebyside with a salem, massachusetts printing of the declaration. The promise ofd equality. This notion that all men are created equal, and out their creator with certain unalienable rights. Thats the language that of course, each person has to decide, does that apply to me . The people that wrote those words did not recognize the revolutionary potential in that. Some people, like john adams, totally didnt realize that when you declare all men are treated equal, people would say, what about women . What about enslaved people . We tried to explore that story through this wall here where we look at the status of laboring men, enslaved people, of women, including abigail adams. Foundationsore the of religious freedom through a group of objects resenting and communities of faith in the colonies. So these on the left, these are known as remote mean. Tose are highly decorated cover the ends of the torah used here inish community israel. It is still an active community in philadelphia. They have a weathervane from one churches,st lutheran 1743. We even represent the presence of islam in america, very difficult to document through material culture. The very small charm, a little copper charm with an inscription from the koran that was excavated in pennsylvania from an archaeological site getting to the mid18th century, perhaps owned by enslaved african who was muslim. It is tremendous to be able to have this tradition represented through an object in the exam. When you get in the museum. Point, yout to this come to the statue of king george the third we bring you back to when the moment was started, when the declaration was being read in new york in 1776. We have a sailor off their offering you a rope that hes throwing down to try to invite you to consider
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