PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — “America’s Founding” tells the nation’s origin story of how our democracy was born.
Sarah Winski is the Senior Director of Exhibits at the National Constitution Center. She says it covers “from the Revolution, through the drafting of the Constitution, all the way to adding our first ten amendments to the Bill of Rights.”
It’s the newest exhibit at the National Constitution Center.
“We’re in the middle of a multiphase renovation of our main exhibit gallery,” says Vince Stango, Interim President and CEO of the National Constitution Center.
This is the first major permanent renovation since the center opened in 2003. “We’re really excited to welcome people from all over the world, to learn about why Philadelphia played such an important role in American history, and continues to play an important role today,” says Stango.
There are three main areas to explore.
“The first section is ‘Declaring Independence,'” says Winski.
And visitors will feel like they’ve stepped back through time.
“This is gonna be a really immersive, interactive gallery,” she says. “So you’re actually in Boston, in a tavern, as people are starting to debate and talk about independence and the Revolution.”
“People assume that the Revolution was a foregone conclusion, but there was a time when it could have went the other way, and so you’ll be in those moments,” says Stango.
In the section, ‘Creating the Constitution,’ you’ll experience Philadelphia in 1787.
“There’s gonna be a house and a print shop and a merchant shop, so you’re on the street before you get to go inside to the convention,” says Winski.
She describes it as being in “large-scale immersive sets with artifacts.”
“We’re really excited, as a part of this exhibit, to have an original rare printing of the Constitution on display,” says Stango.
“They printed about 500 copies, 14 are known to survive,” says Winski.
The final room about ‘Drafting the Bill of Rights’ features James Madison.
“He was the one who was championing them in Congress,” she says.
And a copy of that document is on display as well, along with many other items from that era.
“These were people like us, living through these extraordinary circumstances,” she says. “So hopefully you get to see those human elements of the story, from both the perspective of the people who were drafting, also the everyday people who were caught up in these events, and you get to kind of feel more connected to the past.”
“Democracy was hard fought,” says Stango. “What our, you know, ancestors did to establish this country, to build our democracy… we have a responsibility to carry that forward.”
“America’s Founding” is now open and ready for exploration at the National Constitution Center.
For more information:
“America’s Founding” at the National Constitution Center
National Constitution Center
525 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
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