I drag my wife through a lot of museums.
We travel a bit, and I take every chance possible to see some of the physical items associated with history and learning.
Last week was special. We attended an event near Philadelphia and visited some of the sites and relics of the birthplace of the United States. I’m not sure why I hadn’t taken the time before to visit something so important, so near to home, but here we are.
It didn’t quite tick off a “bucket list” item, because we were unable to tour Independence Hall — the building where the venerated members of the Second Continental Congress declared the nation’s independence in 1776. The tours were all booked before we arrived.
Visiting Independence Hall has been in my mind for at least half a century. I was 10 years old when “1776”, the musical based on the adoption of The Declaration of Independence, was released as a movie. It’s still among my favorites. To stand in the room where the giants of history sat and made that bold declaration, took that powerful, world-changing action, would have to touch the heart of anyone who loves the country.
I did get to experience some of that at the building next door, Congress Hall.
As the Congress Hall page on the National Park Service website tells us, “From 1790 to 1800, Philadelphia served as the temporary capital of the U.S. During that time, the U.S. Congress met in Congress Hall. The House of Representatives met on the first floor while the Senate convened upstairs. Presidents George Washington (second term) and John Adams both took the oath of office in this building.”
Sitting in the room where the nation’s first representatives sat to create the first infrastructure was something that was hard to describe. “Touching” comes close. Knowing all those characters from history books worked in that space as real people made the history seem that much more real.
It was especially true in the Senate chamber on the second floor — literally the “upper house” — where visitors can look upon the spot where Vice President John Adams sat as he presided over the first meetings of that body. Suddenly, history was not so abstract. Even the portrayal of Adams in the excellent HBO miniseries based on David McCullough’s biography of Adams, or reading the book itself, came up short.
And there’s much more nearby.
Having read a biography of Benjamin Franklin and recently having seen the Ken Burns documentary of Philadelphia’s favorite son, I was eager to see some of the sites associated with him. Time limited opportunities, but I got to see his grave.
Of course a grave is not part of a life, but still, the idea that the man who was among the most famous people in the world in his time, and is still one of the most fascinating in history, was beneath the monument in front of me brought a lump to my throat.
That experience was repeated at the nearby Museum of the American Resolution. I don’t have enough space here to write about all the wonderful things there, and how well the exhibits explain the history of the time, but I urge readers who care about such things to look it up and consider a trip.
There was a highlight, though.
Amazingly, the tent George Washington used as his home and headquarters throughout the war survives, and is preserved in the museum. Accompanied by a film explaining its history, the tent is there for modern Americans to see.
All of those places are within easy walking distance of each other and of another revolutionary icon that was on our itinerary that day — The Liberty Bell.
In a day when the nation is so divided, it was a profound experience to think about its beginning, in that place where so much of it happened.
I need to go back when I’ve got more than a few hours to devote to it. You should, too.