Capture, john mccain talks about the impact of the vietnam war on his life and country sunday at 6 00 and 10 00 p. M. Eastern on American History tv on cspan3. Announcer American History tv is that the main Historical Society maine Historical Society collecting artifacts. One goes back to the 15th century. Welcome to the maine Historical Society, the third oldest Historical Society founded in 1822 and have been collecting at this location since 1907. For the early years, maine Historical Society moved around a bit, the public library, and city hall, and once the house was donated to the society, we built this library. In 2007, we underwent restoration and renovation where we added 13,000 feet to the back of the 1907 building. The temperature and humidity controls, climate controls. We also have an offsite storage case for larger collections since we have outgrown the footprint of our intown location. We collect specifically on maine , but our materials to reach back to the 15th century, although that is not a terrible amount. Most are from the 18th century and 19thcentury, from about the 1700s to the 1900s, although we have an extensive collection on colonial exploration dating from the 1600s. We will be showing some of the treasures of maine Historical Society. Collectedur years, we broadly on industry anything that had to do with american and european history. We have tightened our focus to maine, so what we are showing are some examples specific to and some that have National Significance that would relate to United States history. We considered these our showpieces. They dont traditionally come out for research. We brought these out to highlight our collection. We will start with two pieces that date from the American Revolutionary war era. We have a lock of George Washingtons hair that was given to Eliza Wadsworth. When George Washington died in asked fora wadsworth a lock of his hair. Thefather who built Wadsworth Longfellow house on campus was a friend of George Washington, so Martha Washington sent Eliza Wadsworth at this piece of hair in 1800. Hady Wadsworth Longfellow the hair placed into a locket and engraving indicating what this piece is and to whom it was given in 1800. This piece we consider one of our treasures of maine Historical Society. It speaks to the cult of George Washington after his death. Relics were given, parades were given, lots of honorary activity. Revered he was in the United States shortly after the revolution. In scripture and reads, washingtons hair given by mrs. Washington to miss Eliza Wadsworth april 5, 1800. He has inscribed it with his own name and 1850, when the locket was made. This piece is the letter book of Benedict Arnold on his exhibition to kobach in 1775. It starts with the journal which was a copy. What is very interesting about this piece is that it was presented to the maine Historical Society by ehrenberg and 1831. Burr in 1831. It is certainly easy to not have to qualify that. This piece is one of the treasures of maine Historical Society. It has been microfilmed because the book itself despite the , it has its own intrinsic value. You can see a copy of his signature there. Benedict arnold was a general during the revolutionary war who is infamous for later becoming a traitor and transitioning to the british side. Andelt very slighted underappreciated during the revolutionary war and thought he would get a better deal on the other side. It did not really work out in his favor. Considered the most successful cohort in the continental army. So this particular piece here is an option list from the hms boxer, which is of particular interest to me as a librarian and also what i consider one of our more affect maine stories of military history. During the war of 1812, the u. S. Navy was not terribly successful , but one of its naval victory stems from a battle in september of 1813, the hms boxer, the british vessel, and the uss enterprise, the American Ship, fought a half hour long naval battle. The American Ship was victorious both captains were killed. Captain burrows of the americans survived to the port, but the british commander was killed instantaneously. The hms boxer was right back to the port in the port of portland , which was the closest port from where the battle took place and where captain burrows soon passed away. Both men were given a joint funeral by the city of portland and are buried sidebyside at the Eastern Cemetery in portland. They are also buried with the midshipmen who was wounded and died a couple of years later. ,t the maine Historical Society we have documentation related to the auction and receipts from the building of the coffin to the digging of the grave to the hearst. Of the hurt they had to paint a wagon black and the goods sold from the sale help to pay for the funeral. Traditionally privateers would bring its prize into port. The goods from the captured vessel were auctioned off. Those would then go to the u. S. Government, or in the case of a privateer, shares would be divided amongst the crew. Here we have an auction list created by dr. Thorton during the war of 1812 and the list of the items that were sold off. Some of these items were returned to Maine Historical including a medicine chest, and number of chairs, and what we believe is one of the but whether it is a cannon off the hms boxer is up for debate. This particular piece is indicative of one of the most romantic naval stories. , the american, was from philadelphia. In 2013, a number of his descendents of his, family members, came to the Eastern Cemetery along with family members of the british captain from england and they had a joint funeral procession with the british consulate and the u. S. Navy. The war of 1812 was unpopular in maine. We were a front inner state and not well defended and prohibited our ability to trade extensively. It was a financial disaster for maine. The british captain had been in maine for some time sailing along the coast and was very well respected. He was a gentleman and was revered amongst people in maine, so when he died, they felt it was appropriate to give them both a proper funeral. There was a funeral procession throughout the city. They had a joint funeral ceremony at the local church, then brought to be buried sidebyside. It is unusual. I think thats what makes this story all that more romantic. Despite the enemies, the camaraderie that people in maine felt for the british so shortly after the american revolution. What we have here is an example of maine buried treasure. In 1855 on richmonds island off elizabethof cape , a buried treasure was located by a plowman and his son who were plowing a field and came across this jar, which was broken. Thinking it to be rum jar from settlers, they set it aside. Wasof the younger sons brushing the dirt off and notice these coins were along with this signet ring. It, it iswould have believed that these coins were who was not an gentleman indeed, but rather unscrupulous and was murdered by native americans for good reason as the story would go. Either he or an assistant or someone that may have robbed him immediately around the time of his murder would have buried this particular treasure. In the ring is thought to be from the 15 70s and said to have belonged to an ingush noblemen, a signet ring, and it was amongst these coins. The ring dates from the time of charles the first and elizabeth the first. They are all dated 1631, the year the man was killed. He lived in the immediate facility. Legend tobeen some say that it is possible this money was taken from him when he was killed, then later buried by the individuals who committed the murder, although it is unclear. He was the only inhabitant of the island that would be date appropriate of european dissent, so it has been connected to him. A recreation venue of what it looked like when it was of what itgnette looked like when it was found. These coins date from 1570. This one here is 1602. A true very treasure off the coast of maine, murder, mystery,ayhem, perhaps pirates certainly about as close as we will get to buried treasure here at the maine Historical Society. This piece we have here is a dunlap copy of the declaration of independence printed on july 4, 1776. This particular item is one of 26 known copies. It is estimated 250 copies were made and 26 copies survive they are dispersed throughout the United States and great written. One of them has resided at the maine Historical Society since the 1890s. Here at the maine Historical Society, we provide access to our collections as a Traditional Research library or museum. We showcase our collections throughout digital history initiative. The items auctioned from the hms boxer returned to the maine Historical Society all exist in our online databases and are on the web. You can take a look at the receipts from the building of the casket and the items auctioned off, from the digging richmondave, the island coins, George Washingtons hair. It appears on our website and you can browse our collection in full. We also have a Museum Collection database where all of our items have been voted half and inventory online, so our collections are fully searchable. We would like to showcase those collections who are not for his physically able to come to the maine Historical Society, but we also hope it serves as a tease. On once an item has been digitized, it is still accessible and available to the public. It is a nice combination of digital history, 21st Century Preservation and access, as well as traditional archives and museum stewardship. Wed like to transcribe and digitized documents and make them available at 3 00 in the morning from nebraska just as easy as 2 00 in the afternoon in portland. Maine Historical Society has been collecting for a long time. I hope people will learn that we not only collect about maine, place in thenes United States and its role in American History and the importance and relevance of our state, but also placing us in the larger context and understanding how it fits into the larger american historical narrative, but we also like to be able to showcase things that are interesting and people might be able to enjoy and browse and learn something they did not know before and to see some of these collections that we take so much time and energy to preserve. The purpose of our collections is to be used, to be viewed, and to be explored, so we hope people get the take away that these pieces are not locked behind a closed door, but are available to anyone who has an interest in history, collecting, or preservation. Announcer our cities tour recently traveled to portland, maine. Learn more about portland at cspan. Org citiestour. Americanatching history tv all we can, every weekend, on cspan3. 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