National Constitution Center opens ‘America’s Founding’ gallery, exploring the path to independence through everyday eyes

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As the U.S. gears up to celebrate its 250th birthday, the National Constitution Center aims to tell the story of America’s founding through artifacts, highlighting the experiences of everyday people and how debates that happened then are still being held today.

The new gallery, titled “America’s Founding,” provides attendees with an interactive experience on the early conflicts leading up to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, including early protests, the American Revolution and the adoption of the Bill of Rights.

Elena Popchock, senior manager of exhibit content, said the team worked to present the history with enough depth and clarity so every visitor — regardless of their background knowledge — could leave the gallery understanding how the country moved through that era to achieve independence.

“People were at the heart of it all and had really difficult decisions to make,” Popchock said. “They ultimately did the best they could with what they felt like could work and didn’t always know if it would work out.”

The gallery fills the gap between the break from Great Britain and the adoption of the federal government with artifacts, many dating back more than two centuries. Popchock said the nation’s founders weren’t the only ones affected by the country taking shape.

“We’re looking through archives for artifacts that can show the real people that lived, including a Black soldier who’s trying to get money for his wartime service,” Popchock said. “There’s no better way to bring the past to life than through artifacts, through what continues to exist and what was saved too.”

Some of the highlights of the new gallery include a first-print copy of the U.S. Constitution from 1787, provided by Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, as well as a rare printing of the 17 amendments passed by the House in 1789, before it was refined by the Senate to become the Bill of Rights that still stands today, also donated by the hedge fund CEO.

Senior Director Sarah Winski said it’s exciting to unveil the exhibit ahead of America’s semiquincentennial, knowing visitors from around the globe will “come here and see the story come to life.”

“Those documents are really just a critical part of that because it is something tangible, something real,” Winski said. “It’s not just words that you might see on a screen nowadays. It’s actually something that got printed out, that got held, that got distributed and it’s how people learned about these documents.”

The gallery officially opens Friday, Feb. 13, ahead of Presidents’ Day weekend, the first of two new ones being unveiled at the center this year.