Blog Posts and Recent Content

The Museum is continuously working to bring its in-gallery experiences and programming to our digital visitors. Can't make it to the Museum or to our Old City neighborhood in Philadelphia? Check out our growing selection of digital discovery carts featuring replica objects, "walking" tours, case studies, and more.

The Proclamation

Take a closer look at compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government with the Museum's blog.

Annual Report

Registrars to the Rescue

Collections Manager and Registrar Keith Minsinger and Assistant Registrar Matthew Van Nostrand discuss their work on "The Declaration's Journey."

Two people in uniform stand on the replica ship in the Museum's galleries

Annual Report

VEAs on Engaging Visitors & Expanding Comprehension

Visitor Engagement Associates Andrew Wineman and Jordan Cerone discuss their work at the Museum.

A young white woman with dark hair and glasses speaks at a podium

Annual Report

Coast to Coast

Living History Youth Summer Institute participant Lila Perl came all the way from California to Philadelphia in the summer of 2025.

Annual Report

Behind "The Declaration's Journey": Julia Gaffield

Historian Julia Gaffield discusses her experience working on "The Declaration's Journey."

The Declaration's Journey

The Annual Reminder Protests

Learn more about the Annual Reminder protests for LGBTQ+ rights, which are featured in "The Declaration's Journey."

Two people wearing headphones look into a glass case in "The Declaration's Journey" exhibition

A Guide to the Museum of the American Revolution for FIFA World Cup Visitors in 2026

For the FIFA World Cup, the Museum provides visitors from competing countries the chance to see themselves as part of the ongoing Revolution.

A metal shooter in the foreground and printing type in focus in the background spelling "Feel" backwards

The Declaration's Journey

The Declaration Around the World: Ireland

Dr. William E. Watson, Professor of History at Immaculata College, traces the story of Irish independence after falling under British rule in the 12th century up until gaining independence to the 20th century.

The Declaration's Journey

The 1913 Woman Suffrage Procession

Expanding on the suffrage stories presented in "The Declaration’s Journey", discover the story of the Woman Suffrage Procession in Washington, DC in 1913.

The Declaration's Journey

Bayard Rustin

Learn about civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, highlighted in "The Declaration's Journey," and the influence of Mahatma Ghandi on his work.

The Declaration's Journey

The Declaration Around the World: Haiti

Historian Dr. Julia Gaffield traces the history of Haitian independence and the country's own unique declaration.

The Declaration's Journey

The Declaration Around the World: Chile

Historian and The Declaration's Journey guest curator Dr. Emily Sneff explores the story of Chile's fight for independence from Spain.

A collage of paintings and artifacts seen on the Ken Burns' documentary "The American Revolution"

As Seen on "The American Revolution"

Learn more about the stories featured in "The American Revolution" at the Museum, online and in our galleries. The documentary airs on PBS, Nov. 16–21, 2025.

The Declaration's Journey

In Order to Give Due Recognition: Native American Declarations in the 20th Century

Expanding on themes presented in the The Declaration’s Journey, explore the ways that multiple tribes directly invoked the Declaration to demand sovereignty throughout the 20th century.

Mary Wollstonecraft and Women Voters in America

Read more about how English philosopher and feminist thinker Mary Wollstonecraft's writing influenced American women in the 18th century and beyond.

Courtesy of the Delaware Historical Society

Banners of Liberty

The Captured Flags of Banners of Liberty

The two 2nd New Hampshire Regiment banners featured in the exhibition, as well as the Delaware Militia flag, were captured by the British during the war, and eventually travelled back across the pond to America.

Independence National Historical Park, National Park Service; Conserved with support from a Dean F. Failey Grant through the Decorative Arts Trust

Banners of Liberty

Stars and Stripes: The Progression of the American Flag

From the July 4 to sporting events, the American flag is everywhere across the country in summer. 50 stars and 13 stripes are a common sight, but when did those symbols begin?

A portrait of the Public Universal Friend. They have dark hair with long, curled sides, and are dressed in black with a white collar.

Pride Month at the Museum

Who Was the Public Universal Friend?

Learn more about the Public Universal Friend and the ways that the Museum is highlighting their story this Pride Month.

Two Revolutionary War flags, side by side on a gray background.

Banners of Liberty

Thirteen Stripes, One Union: The Story of Two Revolutionary War Flags From Philadelphia

Two of the flags in the Banners of Liberty – those of the 1st Pennsylvania Battalion and the Light Horse of the City of Philadelphia – demonstrate the shift in attitudes of American troops throughout the war. They also both originated right here in Philadelphia.

An illustration of the British regimental flag

Banners of Liberty

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Revolutionary War Flags

Learn more about the key elements and designs of Revolutionary War flags.

FBI Special Agent Jake Archer points at a detail on a rare firearm made by John Christian Oerter during the Revolutionary era.

The Museum & FBI Team Up to Return Stolen Artifacts

Learn more about how the Museum has teamed up with the FBI Art Crime team to help recover stolen Revolutionary War-era firearms that were a part of a string of thefts in the 1960s and 1970s in and around Valley Forge.

Learn More

A visitor views the photographs on the Revolutionary Generation wall in the core exhibition.

Revolutionary Legacy and Ensuring the Promises of the American Revolution Endure

Dr. Philip Mead, now formerly the Museum’s Chief Historian, discussed enormous responsibility of American citizens to improve our system of government, ensure our rights, and make sure that we protect each other’s rights.

Witness to Revolution

The Marquis de Lafayette's 1824-1825 United States Tour

View artifacts from the Marquis de Lafayette's 1824-1825 United States tour that were on display in the Museum's special exhibit, Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington's Tent.

Christopher Tyler Studio

Whiskey Rebellion

Q&A with "Whiskey Rebellion" Artist John Y. Wind

Learn more about artist John Y. Wind and his sculpture installation, "Whiskey Rebellion," on display at the Museum throughout June 2024.

This rare eyewitness Revolutionary War sketch depicts pen and ink drawings of the Continental Army's North Carolina Brigade and female camp followers marching through Philadelphia in August 1777.

Collections

Bringing an Eyewitness Sketch of the Continental Army to Life

Four costumed living historians bring to life figures featured in Pierre Eugène du Simitière's eyewitness sketch of Continental Army soldiers and camp followers marching through Philadelphia in August 1777.

Witness to Revolution

3D-Printed Tents Bring Hands-On Learning to Witness to Revolution Exhibit for Guests with Visual Disabilities

Learn more about the 3D-printed versions of George Washington's Revolutionary War tents produced by Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired for the Witness to Revolution exhibit.

May 1776 handwritten receipt by Plunkett Fleeson documenting George Washington's order for new tents and camp equipment.

Witness to Revolution

Breaking Down Plunket Fleeson's Receipt for George Washington's Tents & Equipment

Examine the details on this receipt dated May 4, 1776, to learn about the tents and camp equipment that General George Washington purchased from Philadelphia upholsterer Plunket Fleeson.

On the left a close-up image of the James Forten portrait. On the right, an image from a microscope of the same painting.

Black Founders

Conserving Black Founders: How Artifact Conservation Brought an Exhibition to Life

Read from five conservators who worked on conserving artifacts ahead of being displayed in the Museum's special exhibition, Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia.

Force10 Sailmaking's Nahja Chimenti works on a sail in the family business's workshop.

Black Founders

From James Forten to Force 10, the Craft of Traditional Sailmaking Continues Today

Nahja Chimenti and Sean Bunting of Force 10 Sailmaking and Rigging reflect on their work, compare their workshop to the recreated sail loft that was in our Black Founders exhibit, and look at how James Forten's Revolutionary-era sailmaking work is similar to their own.

Black Founders

Triumphant Lives: The Forten Legacy Fosters Scholarship and Historical Insight

Dr. Janice L. Sumler-Edmond recounts the past 50 years of academic scholarship on James Forten and his descendants that helped lead to the Museum's Black Founders special exhibition.

Black Founders

Forten Family Heirlooms on Loan from Descendants in Black Founders Exhibit

Learn more about the rare surviving objects on loan from Forten family descendants that are on display in our special exhibition, Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia.

Black Founders

Forten Family Artifacts on Loan from Howard University in Black Founders Exhibit

Take a closer look at the Forten family artifacts that the Howard University Moorland-Spingarn Research Center loaned to the Museum for our special exhibition, Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia.

Silhouette artist T.J. Steussy shows a young visitor his silhouette during Winter Weekends at the Museum.

Silhouette Art's Unique Connection to Revolutionary-era Philadelphia

Silhouette artist Ted Stuessy explores a brief history of the artform and its unique connection to the Peale Museum in Revolutionary-era Philadelphia.

Portrait painted of John Adams, who had white hair, balding, wearing a black formal jacket and a white shirt underneath.

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

John Adams and Revolutionary Philadelphia's Summer Heat

Here are five times John Adams, signer of the Declaration of Independence and eventually the second President of the United States, wrote about his hatred for the heat during the summers of 1776 and 1777.

Battle Of Bunker Hill Credit Don Troiani

Liberty Exhibit

Battle of Bunker Hill in Liberty: Don Troiani's Paintings of the Revolutionary War Exhibit

Take a closer look at two paintings by nationally renowned historical artist Don Troiani as well as four objects related to the Battle of Bunker that are on display in our special exhibition.

Portrait of William Shakespeare from the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Founders' Writings on Their Admiration of William Shakespeare

Take a look at the deep appreciation many founders, like George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, had for William Shakespeare and their recurring citations of his work.

A painting of Washington at the Battle of Princeton, 1777

Courtesy Don Troiani

Liberty Exhibit

10 Crucial Days Liberty Exhibit Scavenger Hunt

Using paintings by artist Don Troiani of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, complete a scavenger hunt about objects and people from the 10 Crucial Days.

Meet the Figures: Oneida Nation Theater

At the Museum's Oneida Nation Theater, featuring six life-cast figures and a film, meet Oneida people in the midst of a debate about how they will engage in the Revolutionary War.

Explore Online

George Dance Drawing of an 18th-Century Chinese Man

Looking Through the Silk Screen: Asian People in the American Revolution

Historian Daniel Sieh explores how the story of Charles Peters provides a fascinating window into the contributions made by Asian people to the American Revolution.

"Boston Massacre, March 5th, 1770" by John H. Bufford

Boston Athenaeum

Boston Massacre and Propaganda: Changing Depictions of Crispus Attucks

Depictions of the Boston Massacre, the chaotic melee on March 5, 1770 that left five Bostonians dead, including Crispus Attucks, offer a glimpse into the blurred lines between reality and propaganda.

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American Flag’s Origins: A Symbol of Unity or Dissent?

Now-former Museum Chief Historian Dr. Philip Mead takes a closer look at the evolution of the American flag as a symbol during the Revolutionary era.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Promises of the American Revolution

Learn about the life, service, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through many of his speeches and writings that reference the America's founding documents.

5 Pop Culture Portrayals of Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold’s journey from a once-ardent hero of the Revolutionary cause to its most dishonored traitor is well-documented in historical works.

A Recipe for a Revolutionary Birthday

Download the recipes for a "whisky cake" favored by George Washington as well as a rum shrub cocktail for your next celebration.

This image shows a display in the museum with artifacts related to Continental Army soldiers James Davenport and Jeremiah Keeler who both served under the Marquis de Lafayette.

News & Updates

Now on View: Jeremiah Keeler's Revolutionary War Sword

The sword of a soldier who served in the Continental Army’s Corps of Light Infantry, given to him by the Marquis de Lafayette and carried at the Siege of Yorktown, is now on display at the Museum.

This image shows a display case featuring artifacts found in a privy pit during a dig at the site of the Museum.

News & Updates

Now on View: Trash Tells the Truth in New Archaeology Display

Learn more about artifacts now on view that were found at the site of the Museum that came from Benjamin and Mary Humphreys' privy and reveal the truth about life in a Revolutionary city.

A case with artifacts against a red background

News & Updates

Now On View: New Artifacts Explore the Hessians' Role in the Revolution

Learn more about Hessian soldiers with new artifacts on display in the Museum's core galleries.

Digital Discovery Carts

Themed discovery carts offer digital guests a chance to view replica objects and documents to dig deeper into stories and people of the Revolution.

Protest in Early America Discovery Cart

Learn how early Americans used boycotts, printed propaganda, violence, and public demonstrations to advocate for various causes, and consider the similarities and differences between the 18th century through to today.

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Sergeant John Hawkins' Lost Pack Discovery Cart

Explore the contents of 2nd Canadian Regiment Sergeant John Hawkins' knapsack, which he lost on Sept. 11, 1777 at the Battle of Brandywine.

James Forten Discovery Cart

View replica objects from the time James Forten, a free Revolutionary War veteran, wealthy sailmaker and prominent Philadelphia abolitionist, spent as a teenager at sea to learn more about his life.

Archaeology at the Museum Discovery Cart

View a sample of the artifacts found during the archaeological dig at the site of the Museum of the American Revolution in Old City, Philadelphia, prior to construction.

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Hessians and the 10 Crucial Days Discovery Cart

Take a closer look at items featured in this digital discovery cart about Hessian soldiers and the Battles of Trenton and Princeton that turned the tides of the Revolutionary War.

Image 111720 Discovery Cart Joseph Louis Cook Main

Louis Cook Discovery Cart

Learn more about Lieutenant Colonel Louis Cook's (Akiatonharónkwen) life and story using reproduction objects at this digital discovery cart.

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Harry Washington Discovery Cart

Explore replica objects related to the life of Harry Washington, who was enslaved by the Washingtons and found freedom through service in the British army.

Replica handling objects from the camp followers discovery cart

Forgotten Revolutionaries: Camp Followers Discovery Cart

Learn about the women and children who served vital roles while traveling with both the British and Revolutionary armies during the Revolutionary War.

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Artisans and Makers Discovery Cart

Learn more about tools used by artisans and makers working in specialized, skilled trades during the Revolutionary era.

Virtual "Walking" Tours

Explore Revolutionary sites and spaces around historic Philadelphia with facts and commentary on these little-known histories.

left to right, sitting on stools: David O Stewart, R. Scott Stephenson, Talmage Boston

A Walk Through George Washington's Philadelphia

Authors and historians David O. Stewart and Talmage Boston joined Dr. R. Scott Stephenson for a walking tour through George Washington’s Philadelphia, including stops at Independence Hall, the President’s House, and Congress Hall.

Watch

Michael Idriss Mother Bethel Ame Walking Tour

Mother Bethel AME Virtual Walking Tour

Join the Museum's African American Interpretive Fellow, Michael Idriss, for a virtual tour of the historic Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia.

Watch

Karl Gottlieb Schweikart, Portrait of Tadeusz Kościuszko, National Museum in Warsaw

Thaddeus Kościuszko Virtual Walking Tour

Learn more about one of Poland’s most famous national heroes, Thaddeus Kościuszko, his contributions to the American Revolution, and his influence right here in Philadelphia.

Ona Judge Virtual "Walking" Tour

Hear the extraordinary story of Ona Judge and visit the sites that played a part in her journey towards freedom with Museum educator Michael Idriss.

Watch

The Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier with a statue of George Washington in Washington Square Park in Philadelphia.

Virtually Tour the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier

Read more about the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier, which stands in Washington Square Park, just a couple blocks from the Museum.

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image left: The Library Company of Philadelphia

Hamilton Was Here Virtual Walking Tour

Without Philadelphia, there might not have been the Alexander Hamilton we know today. Check out notable sites from Hamilton's time in Revolutionary Philadelphia.