From one of the earliest known 13-star flags to a black-and-white-striped 23-star anti-slavery flag and a 1960s-70s-era flag featuring 50 stars in the shape of a peace sign, more than 40 rare American flags will go on display alongside historic documents beginning Flag Day Weekend, reflecting a growing and changing American nation. The special exhibition, Flags and Founding Documents, 1776 – Today, will be on view at the Museum of the American Revolution from Saturday, June 12 – Monday, September 6, 2021, as part of the Museum’s Revolutionary Summer. 

 

The flags—many of which have never been exhibited before—trace the evolution of the Stars and Stripes through the addition and subtraction of stars as new states joined the Union and the nation battled through the Civil War. The flags serve as a visual narrative of America's national story. The flags will be showcased alongside historic documents including early printings of more than 16 different state constitutions and the Choctaw Nation Constitution of 1838 to shed light on the triumphs and tensions that the United States faced as it expanded and worked toward creating a “more perfect Union.”

 

“We are proud to sponsor this exhibit at the Museum of the American Revolution,” stated Bruce K. Foulke, president & CEO of American Heritage Credit Union.  “American Heritage has a long history of promoting awareness of the history of our country’s founding and growth.  As our city reopens, I encourage our members and fellow citizens to visit the museum and become further educated on the many rich and inspirational facets of our nation’s founding.”

 

“I am thrilled to expand upon the successful 2019 exhibit of 13-star flags at the Museum to share this visually dynamic and historically significant collection of flags that illustrates the advance from 13 stars to 50 (plus a few surprises),” said Jeff R. Bridgman, a leading dealer in antique American flags and political textiles, who is curating the flag portion of the exhibit as well as loaning most of the flags to the Museum.

 

Additionally, the display of documents will include rare printings of the Bill of Rights and the proposed U.S. Constitution of 1787 — one of fewer than 15 complete copies of this first printing that are known to have survived. The documents were previously displayed at the New-York Historical Society as Colonists, Citizens, Constitutions: Creating the American Republic, curated by Dr. James F. Hrdlicka. Together, these founding documents provide “a rare window into the ingenuity and complicated compromises that established the United States” and demonstrate “that the road to perfection is not necessarily linear” (The New York Times). A catalog created to accompany the exhibit, featuring a foreword by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is now available in the Museum’s shop.

 

“It is my deepest wish that this exhibition will inspire all of us to have an impact on our future by participating in the governance of the United States,” said Dorothy Tapper Goldman, a collector and philanthropist. The documents will be on loan to the Museum from the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Foundation. “This is how we became a nation, and this is how we will keep our republic strong.”

 

A 1781 printed compilation of the 13 state constitutions of the new United States, on loan from the Rosenbach, Philadelphia, will be included in the exhibition to help share the story of Jewish Americans during the Revolutionary era. The compilation of constitutions includes handwritten annotations that analyze how each constitution affected Jewish Americans at the time. This extraordinary book speaks to the fact that as Jewish Revolutionaries fought for American rights, they also sought Jewish rights in America.

 

The 5,000 square-foot exhibit, located in the Museum’s Patriots Galley, is included with regular Museum admission. Tickets to the Museum can be purchased by calling 215.253.6731 or at amrevmuseum.org. The Museum is currently open to the public Fridays – Mondays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with enhanced health and safety protocols. Beginning May 27, the Museum will be open Thursdays – Mondays. From June 24 – July 12, the Museum will be open daily.

 

Key artifacts of the exhibit include:

 

Throughout the run of the exhibit, visitors of all ages can enjoy pop-up talks with a Museum educator that will examine replica Revolutionary flags, how they were made, and who made them. At a discovery cart, visitors will learn the story of Rebecca Flower Young, who worked in Philadelphia making flags and drum cases for the Continental Army. Families can explore the exhibit using a printed Family Guide full of games and activities. At activity stations, visitors can express what’s meaningful to them by making their own flag and using movable magnetics to write their own constitution. 

 

During Flag Day Weekend, Saturday, June 12 – Monday, June 14, each visitor to the Museum will receive a free miniature version of the Commander-in-Chief’s Standard, the flag that marked George Washington’s presence on the battlefield. Also beginning Flag Day Weekend, visitors can view a display of enormous handmade replica flags flown by navy ships at sea during the Revolutionary War with the debut of the True Colours Flag Project.

 

Flags and Founding Documents, 1776-Today is presented by American Heritage Credit Union. The exhibition was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. Additional sponsorship is provided by The Color Guard of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution, Morris W. Offit, Mark R. Shenkman, and the family of Irvin and Anita Schorsch. America 250’s official recognition of Flags and Founding Documents, 1776-Today acknowledges the program as an expression of the America 250 vision to inspire the American spirit.