Revolutionary Legacies

Join Curator talks at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm on March 27. Free with admission. 

How have we remembered April 19, 1775, and the American Revolution over the last 250 years?

Featuring commemorative ephemera, unique relics, artworks and personal objects, and contemporary works that respond to the Revolution’s legacy, this special exhibition asks what we choose to remember—and what has been left out—as the public looks back to the founding of our nation. Visitors will have the unique opportunity to experience how the Revolution was remembered at key moments – in 1824, 1875, 1975, and even 2025. By pairing revelatory historical objects with evocative contemporary works, this dynamic exhibition asks all of us to reflect on our own role in building our nation today and for the future. 

Join Curator Gallery Talks at 11 am and 2 pm on opening day with Curator David Wood and Curator and Director of Exhibitions Christie Jackson. No advanced registration required. Free with admission. 

Visitors will see:

• A rare 1823 facsimile of the Declaration of Independence in dialogue with a commissioned poem by contemporary artist Bonnie Hartley (Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians) that together ask vital questions about who we include or exclude as we remember the founding of our nation.  

• Unique historical relics, textiles, clothing, and personal objects that show how Americans imbued objects with historical memory, ranging from cherished family objects used on April 19th, 1775,  to pieces of the North Bridge, to a Revolutionary-era gown repurposed for the centennial, to a relic made from George Washington’s coffin.  

• A infant’s bootie made from the original red coat of a British soldier who died in battle during the Revolution that provides a poignant example of the ways families repurposed original objects from the Revolution, creating powerful living memories of the past.  

• Original artworks created by local high school students in response to the 250th anniversary of April 19th, 1775, that bring reflections of our nation’s founding all the way to the present day, highlighting the voices of the next generation and inviting visitors to consider their own role in carrying forward the ideals of the Revolutionary period.  

Plan your visit.

Revolutionary Legacies is made possible, in part, by: Mass Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities; the Decorative Arts Trust; the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism; the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area, the ‘Quin Impact Fund, Concord250, the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, and by the Massachusetts General Court and Secretary of State William F. Galvin for Veterans’ Heritage Grant Program. The exhibition is also supported by WBUR.