Shadrach Bond chapter DAR of Hancock County to host American Revolution Experience exhibition in July

CARTHAGE, Ill. — The Shadrach Bond Chapter of National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has announced the opening of the American Revolution Experience, which will be displayed on the ground floor of the Hancock County Courthouse from July 3-17. The exhibition will be open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. on July 4 and then from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free to the public, but donations will be accepted.

This exhibit is part of the Bicentennial of Hancock County in coordination with a committee from the Hancock County Historical Society, Development Committee for Carthage and Hancock County, county schools, Hancock County Journal Pilot and local area news, radio and TV stations. It is recommended for adults, teachers, middle and high school students, military personnel and anyone interested in history from the American Revolution.

The pop-up exhibition includes display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology, unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation.

Created through collaboration between the American Battlefield Trust and the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, the exhibit is made possible by matching funds from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program battlefield interpretation grants.

The General Macomb Chapter NSDAR has volunteered to host the exhibit on two days that the exhibit is open.

The Two Rivers Art Council of Illinois will help sponsor a program at the Carthage Community Center sponsored by the Hancock County Historical Society. John Hallwas will present a collection of readings and poems from Hancock County residents at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. There is no charge for this program. It will also be a part of the Bicentennial celebration of Hancock County.

The American Revolution Experience launched online in its first digital-only iteration during the summer of 2022 to rapid acclaim and received a Bronze Award in the Education, Art and Culture division of the second annual Anthem Awards, an initiative of the Webby Awards celebrating purpose and mission-driven work. It was also a finalist in the “People’s Choice” category of the Webbys themselves.

“The American Revolution would not have happened without the decisions, sacrifices and valor of ordinary people,” DAR president General Pamela Rouse Wright said in a press release. “DAR is honored to have collaborated with the American Battlefield with the American Battlefield Trust on this initiative to highlight some of our patriots and their roles in the founding of this great country. We are thrilled for people in communities across the country to learn more about these individuals.”

The traveling exhibit includes 12 panels highlighting thematic connections between profiled individuals and three interactive kiosks that connect to the full digital biographies, provides documentary context on the Revolutionary War and offers information on how to visit the places tied to these individuals today.

Both online and on-site, the American Revolution Experience features custom illustrations by South Carolina-based artist Dale Watson. The exhibit also draws from documents and objects in DAR’s collection, as well as the Trust’s industry leading digital interpretation resources.

“Independence may have been declared in Philadelphia by the Declaration’s 56 signers, but it was hard-won on the battlefields we protect by the thousands of patriot soldiers from whom today’s daughters trace descent,” Trust President David Duncan said. “Together, our organizations bear witness to the fact that we are not so far removed from those impactful events, that there are meaningful ways to bridge those 250 years.”

The exhibit surfaces diverse viewpoints and experiences, touching on the journeys of patriots and loyalists, men and women, Black and native populations and even international allies. Rather than focusing only on generals and famous statesmen, it introduces audiences to drummer boys, military mapmakers and other ordinary people impacted by global events.

From a grassroots organization started by historians nearly 40 years ago, the American Battlefield Trust has grown into one of the most successful land preservation and education organizations in the nation. The Trust has protected almost 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War, representing 160 sites in 25 states from Massachusetts to New Mexico. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War.