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American Revolution Museum Filling a Need in Philadelphia

FILE - Sydney James Harcourt, an original cast member from the Broadway musical "Hamilton" performs with students from the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts during opening ceremonies for the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, Wednesday, April 19, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The Museum of the American Revolution celebrates its one-year anniversary this month.

Officials say the museum is having success in getting visitors in a city filled with revolutionary war history.

You can stop by the Museum of the American Revolution during a visit to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia was the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. A few years later, the city served as the early capital of the United States.

FILE - This April 10, 2017, file photo shows the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.

The museum will celebrate its first birthday on April 19. That is also the anniversary of the first gunshots fired at the battles of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, in 1775. These battles led to the revolutionary war between Britain and its North American colonies.

In honor of its first birthday, the Museum of the American Revolution is adding some exhibits while leaving its most popular ones unchanged.

“We had no idea how people were going to receive this story of the revolution as we have written it,” said the museum’s Scott Stephenson. “But the public response has been tremendous,” he added, noting they have received support from all sides.

The campaign to build and open the museum succeeded in raising $173 million. The goal was $150 million.

In this June 5, 2014 photo, Scott Stephenson, Director of Collections and Interpretation, uncovers the recently conserved George Washington's flag.

Stephenson is the museum’s vice president of collections, exhibitions and programming. He said this has been a good year to open a museum about the American Revolution for a number of reasons.

One was the public debate over the removal of Civil War statues honoring Confederate soldiers. In addition, Americans have debated the Second Amendment to the U.S. constitution because of school shootings. The amendment guarantees Americans the right to keep and bear arms.

Inside the museum

The museum’s exhibit starts with the event in New York City where Americans pulled down the statue of Britain’s King George III. The incident happened after a public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Stephenson said he has overheard several debates from museum visitors about the act of removing statues. “Most people would agree, regardless of their political affiliation, that this is one of those moments of deep reflection of who we are as a people,” he said.

Planned new additions to the museum will include a look at Philadelphia at the time of Alexander Hamilton, the early American statesman. The museum also plans to open the “Revolution Place Discovery Center,” which will recreate historical environments for families to experience.

Photo depicts George Washington, center, braking up a fight amongst American soldiers including an African American man, lower right, who served in a New England regiment, at the Museum of the American Revolution

Photo shows an actual piece of the Annapolis, Md., Liberty Tree, embedded into an 18-foot-tall tree replica as a touchable element at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Photo shows a newborn's shoes made from a British red coat brought back at the end of the Revolutionary War

Interacting with history

On a recent day, Bill and Amanda Hrehowsik and their two sons were visiting the Museum of the American Revolution from their home in Middletown, New Jersey.

The museum was at the top of their list to visit because it was new, and because 10-year-old Matthew Hrehowsik was studying the revolutionary war.

“It’s really interesting, because there was some stuff I learned here that I didn’t learn in school,” he said.

Maud Lyon is president of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. She told the Associated Press that it is difficult for all Philadelphia museums to get visitors to move “beyond the bell” — meaning the Liberty Bell.

Lyon added that said the Museum of the American Revolution is an important place “…that was much needed in Philly to tell the historic story we are known for.”

I’m Lucija Millonig.

Photo shows a replica of a privateer ship at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.

Photo shows a display of weapons used during the Revolutionary War, including a fife and drum, at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.

Kristen de Groot reported this story for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted her story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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