Art of Independence: Powder Horns of the Revolutionary Era

A powder horn had a practical purpose: it kept the gunpowder a soldier needed for their firearm dry and close at hand. Yet many soldiers and other makers transformed these everyday objects into works of art. Using knives and other simple tools, they carved names, dates, maps, forts, animals, and other images into the horn’s surface, recording where they had been and what mattered to them.

Opening in April 2027, Art of Independence: Powder Horns of the Revolutionary Era will invite visitors to look closely at these objects and the people behind them. Who carved the horns, and why? What can their images tell us about the people who carried them? Some carvings commemorate campaigns or comrades; others express political loyalties, pride, or humor. Although many makers remain unknown, their work offers a rare, personal look into early American military history.

Created in partnership with Historic Deerfield, the exhibition will bring together over two dozen powder horns from the collections of the Museum of the American Revolution, Historic Deerfield, and the New Hampshire Historical Society, as well as from multiple private collectors. Some of the horns were carried through military campaigns, others became souvenirs of service. Seen together, they reveal how a tool carried into combat could also become a keepsake and a lasting record of someone's experience.

The exhibition presents powder horns from the American colonial conflicts of the 1700s through the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Visitors will discover how horns were made and used, examine the people and places depicted on them, and view how their imagery changed as the colonies moved toward independence. British symbols appear on some horns, while others reflect the emerging cause of the United States of America. These details allow visitors to trace a period of political change through material culture.