Press Releases

New Special Exhibition “Banners of Liberty” Opens During Spring Break With Public Celebration on April 19

April 1, 2025

This image shows the words Banners of Liberty in blue to the left with the words An Exhibition of Original Revolutionary War Flags in red underneath and a painting of soldiers marching into battle with a large flag.

Museum Will Celebrate Opening of Once-in-a-Lifetime Revolutionary War-era Flag Exhibition With Public Celebration on Museum’s Eighth Anniversary

Join us on April 19, the 250th anniversary of the “shot heard round the world” at the Battles of Lexington and Concord which ignited the Revolutionary War, for the opening of our newest special exhibition, Banners of Liberty: An Exhibition of Original Revolutionary War Flags.

The exhibition will bring together 17 total flags, including 16 from the Revolutionary era – the largest collection of such flags in more than two centuries. Banners of Liberty will be on view exclusively at the Museum through Aug. 10, 2025 in the first-floor Patriots Gallery, and will be included with regular Museum admission.

Of the hundreds of flags made and carried in the Revolutionary War by soldiers fighting for the American cause, only about 30 are known to survive today. Working with institutional and private lenders, the Museum has gathered original flags present at military campaigns stretching from northern New England to South Carolina. These artistically embellished flags employed colors and designs to represent political ideals and a growing national identity, as well as to instill "esprit de corps" within military units. For America’s Revolutionary generation, the flags that flew over their regiments and ships or were carried through their towns to battle were perhaps the first visual expressions of liberty and independence that they saw.

Banners of Liberty opens during the Museum’s observation of Spring Break, April 12-27, 2025, which will also include flag-themed crafts, an interactive discovery cart, in-gallery talks, extended hours for the newly reopened Revolution Place, and more.

Spring Break Highlights Include:

New Special Exhibition Banners of Liberty | Daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Flags played key roles on the battlefield and the parade ground as tools of motivation and identification for armies of the Revolutionary War. They often featured a design in their canton (upper corner) as well as designs, a motto, or a unit designation at the center. Revolutionary Americans employed stars, stripes, and other symbols to represent the unity of the 13 states. Mottos in Latin or English referenced their justification and determination to fight to create an independent nation. Early in the war, before the Declaration of Independence, some American flags included the British union (a combination of crosses representing England and Scotland) to express that they remained loyal to King George III even as they fought secure their traditional English liberties. Curated by the Museum’s in-house exhibitions team, Banners of Liberty will feature 17 total flags, including 16 from the Revolutionary era. Most notably, the Commander in Chief’s Standard, a key aspect of the Museum’s permanent collection, will be on display for only the second time since our opening.

Banners of Liberty Public Opening Event | April 19 from 10:15 – 11 a.m.

The Museum will host an opening for our new special exhibition on our plaza including performances from the Central York Middle School Colonial Fife and Drum Corps, a presentation of colors, and remarks by Museum officials and elected leaders. This event is free and open to the public. Additional planned festivities include cooking demonstrations and complimentary refreshments.

Revolution Place | Daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Museum’s hands-on family discovery center, Revolution Place, is now conveniently located on the Museum’s first floor. During Spring Break, the Museum will offer extended hours and associated programming in Revolution Place for visitors of all ages to enjoy. Access to Revolution Place is included in regular Museum admission.

Design Your Own Flag Craft | Daily from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Museum’s Rotunda

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress officially adopted the flag of the United States, agreeing that “the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Though the number of stars and the pattern of that constellation have been altered through the years, their meaning has not changed. Visitors can create their own flag and explore what the symbols in their own “banner of liberty” might represent.

On Display: True Colours Flag Project | Daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Museum’s handsewn, replica “suit of colours” is back on display in the Museum Rotunda. Learn more about the process of recreating — and the history behind — these huge flags flown by 18th-century ships at sea during the Revolutionary War. Sponsorship for the project was provided by The Color Guard of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution.

10-Minute Talk: My Favorite Object | Daily from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Find a Museum educator to learn about and discuss some of their favorite objects on display in the core galleries.

Discovery Cart: Rebecca Flower Young | Daily from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Flagmaker Rebecca Flower Young advertised “all kinds of colours” for the Revolutionary cause from her shop here in Philadelphia. Meet a Museum educator to view replica objects and learn more about Young’s work as a military contractor making flags and drum cases for the Continental Army.

All Spring Break activities are included in regular Museum admission. The Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Banners of Liberty will be open daily during regular Museum hours in the 5,000 square-foot, first-floor Patriots Gallery. Access to the exhibition is included with regular Museum admission. Tickets can be purchased at AmRevMuseum.org, by calling 215.253.6731, or at the front desk. Children ages 5 and under are free. All tickets are valid for two consecutive days. Group tickets for parties of 15 or more are available for a reduced price by calling 267.579.3623. Memberships are also available online or by calling 215.454.2030.

Banners of Liberty is presented by American Heritage Credit Union and Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company. Additional support is provided by Pritzker Military Foundation, Artist Preservation Group, Dick and Sally Brickman,

Nancy and Morris W. Offit, Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution and its Color Guard, Rosalind and Mark Shenkman, and Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire, as well as Jeff R. Bridgman Antiques, Inc., the Connelly Foundation, Dean F. Failey Grant from Decorative Arts Trust, Brian and Barbara Hendelson, Jacqueline Mars, Society of the Cincinnati in Pennsylvania, and Daniel H. Wheeler and Amy A. Fox.

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One of two 2nd New Hampshire Regiment flags in the exhibition, this flag is painted with the "Chain of States" and the motto "We Are One" to represent unity among the states. New Hampshire Historical Society, Gift of Edward Tuck; Conserved with support from the Artist Preservation Group

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This flag, like the other 2nd New Hampshire Regiment flag in the exhibition, is known to be sewn by Boston-based milliner Fanny Johonnot Williams and sent to England as a war trophy after the Battle of Hubbardton in 1777. New Hampshire Historical Society, Gift of Edward Tuck; Conserved with support from the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Hampshire

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The First Troop was organized in 1774 as the Light Horse of the City of Philadelphia. Also known as the First City Troop, the organization is the oldest military unit in the United States still in active service. On loan from the Museum of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry.

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The Commander in Chief’s Standard, a key aspect of the Museum’s permanent collection, will be on display for only the second time since our opening. Museum of the American Revolution

About Museum of the American Revolution

The Museum of the American Revolution uncovers and shares compelling stories about the diverse people and complex events that sparked America’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government. Through the Museum’s unmatched collection, immersive galleries, powerful theater experiences, and interactive elements, visitors gain a deeper appreciation for how this nation came to be and feel inspired to consider their role in ensuring that the promise of the American Revolution endures. Located just steps away from Independence Hall, the Museum serves as a portal to the region’s many Revolutionary sites, sparking interest, providing context, and encouraging exploration. The Museum, which opened on April 19, 2017, is an independent, non-profit, and non-partisan organization. For more information, visit www.AmRevMuseum.org or call 877.740.1776.