Museum of the American Revolution

Museum of the American Revolution
Name	Museum of the American Revolution
Caption	Exterior of the museum in Philadelphia
Location	101 S. Third Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Established	2017
Type	History museum
Director	R. Scott Stephenson

Contents

Museum of the American Revolution is a history museum in Philadelphia dedicated to the story of the American Revolutionary era, displaying material culture, manuscripts, and interactive interpretation relating to the late 18th century. The museum situates George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and lesser-known figures such as Molly Pitcher, Phillis Wheatley, Benedict Arnold, and Haym Salomon within the broader context of events like the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Siege of Yorktown, the Declaration of Independence, and the Treaty of Paris (1783). As a center for scholarship and public history, the institution connects artifacts associated with Continental Army, British Army, Continental Congress, Articles of Confederation, and early national institutions to sites such as Independence Hall, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Mount Vernon, and Plymouth (Massachusetts).

History and founding

The museum opened in 2017 after a multi-year campaign led by civic leaders, preservationists, and scholars including patrons linked to The American Philosophical Society, The Library Company of Philadelphia, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and descendants of Revolutionary personalities such as the Harrison family and the Franklin family. Planning involved collaboration with curators from institutions like the National Archives, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art to assemble holdings spanning objects tied to Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Marquis de Lafayette, Baron von Steuben, John Paul Jones, Daniel Morgan, and Nathanael Greene. The founding attracted support from foundations associated with Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and corporate donors with ties to Wells Fargo, PECO Energy Company, and regional philanthropies that have historically funded projects at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Penn Museum.

The museum building, designed by an architectural team with experience on projects for Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and Carnegie Museum of Art, occupies a site near Independence National Historical Park and Old City, Philadelphia. Its design references 18th‑century urban fabric while incorporating modern elements similar to interventions at National Constitution Center and New-York Historical Society. The campus planning considered sight lines to Independence Hall, circulation for visitors attending events at Christ Church, Philadelphia, and connections to nearby institutions such as Betsy Ross House and Elfreth's Alley. Structural systems and gallery configurations reflected standards used in museums like the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the British Museum for climate control to preserve objects tied to George Washington's uniform, Alexander Hamilton's correspondence, and other fragile materials.

Collections include weapons, uniforms, maps, manuscripts, prints, and material culture associated with figures including George Washington, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Elizabeth Freeman (Mumbet), Casimir Pulaski, Tadeusz Kościuszko, and Nancy Hart. Signature objects have been displayed alongside loans from the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, New-York Historical Society, The Morgan Library & Museum, Massachusetts Historical Society, and the Royal Armouries. Thematic exhibitions have explored the Boston Tea Party, Battle of Bunker Hill, Saratoga campaign, Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War, and international dimensions involving France in the American Revolutionary War, Spain in the American Revolutionary War, and the Dutch Republic. Rotating galleries have featured material connected to Phillis Wheatley, Salem Poor, Lydia Darragh, and other participants whose stories intersect with topics preserved at Schuyler Mansion, Hagley Museum and Library, and the Revolutionary War Museum.

The museum offers school programs, teacher workshops, and public lectures that bring together scholars from Princeton University, Yale University, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University, and Temple University to discuss primary sources such as letters from George Washington and diaries from soldiers at Valley Forge. Outreach initiatives partner with organizations including Philadelphia School District, National Park Service, Library of Congress, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and community groups centered around African American Museum in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Abolition Society to highlight voices like Ona Judge, James Forten, and Prince Whipple. Public programming includes concerts, book talks, and symposiums featuring curators and historians associated with Museum of the American Revolution collections and outside research centers.

The museum maintains an archives and conservation laboratory for preservation of textiles, paper, and metalwork linked to figures such as George Washington, Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Dolley Madison, and John Jay. Staff collaborate with conservators from the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, digitization specialists at Digital Public Library of America, and manuscript experts from the William L. Clements Library to catalog letters, maps, and broadsides including items related to the Continental Congress, the Federalist Papers, and militia records from states like New York (state), Massachusetts, and Virginia. Scholarly publications resulting from this work have appeared alongside research conducted at American Antiquarian Society and in partnership with journals based at Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.

Governance is provided by a board composed of historians, business leaders, and civic figures with affiliations to Independence Seaport Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and universities including Drexel University and Villanova University. Funding combines endowment gifts from foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and corporate sponsorships from regional firms with revenue from admissions, membership, and special events commonly employed by institutions like the Museum of the City of New York and The Met. Administrative leadership interacts with municipal agencies including the Philadelphia City Council and state bodies that oversee cultural affairs, while compliance and accreditation align with standards promulgated by the American Alliance of Museums.

Category:Museums in Philadelphia