Browse Exhibits (39 total)
Fire Meet Gasoline: George Washington and Alexander Hamilton
The American Revolution left behind countless legacies. Among them, forging close interpersonal relationships that would fundamentally alter the course of this ambitious republican experiment. Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, both made icons by the passage of time, worked intricately together during The Revolutionary War and through the foundational early days of the American Republic.
As a principal aide-de-camp to General Washington and the eventual first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton found in George Washington a man with the new world on his shoulders, a paradigm of the country he had learned to call his own. For his part, Washington needed, valued, and utilized Hamilton’s genius in shaping the new United States. Together, they served as powerful voices for centralized governance in an environment that had proven so hostile to it. Their relationship was as impactful for one another as it has been for our system of government.
The country we see today is a byproduct of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton’s “fire meet gasoline” connection. Their relationship is best understood in eras, from the battlefields of the Revolution to the sun setting on Washington’s life.
Education in the Early American Republic
Education is a concept that is constantly evolving, getting reformed to adapt to society. Throughout American history, education changed to follow the culture and values of the nation. As various demographics have earned more rights, their representation in education increased, but we are still far from justice and equity. It is important to understand the development of early American education to make connections between revolutionary ideals and educational beliefs. Finding correlations is crucial in gaining knowledge of the foundations of education. Leaders in the Revolutionary War held strong beliefs of liberty and freedom, and research can identify how that impacted curriculum in schools and the effect of education on different demographics. The development of education expands far more than core subjects. The foundation of education in America evolved from beliefs and values instilled in the republic. As the war for independence had concluded, motivation for freedom and democracy was at the forefront of American priorities. In addition, religion was a significant aspect of the American identity, and founders of American education push for religious-centered institutions. Furthermore, while the United States emphasized freedom and natural rights, this did not guarantee equal education for all citizens.
The development of early American education was the result of various American foundational factors that influenced beliefs and priorities in the system.
This exhibit will explore how the Revolutionary War had a significant impact on the development and foundational values of early American education. Throughout the pages, you will find interpretations of how revolutionary values, religious influence, and education for minorities framed the beginning of education in the early American Republic.
Tobacco in Revolutionary America
Social aspects, Cultural aspects, Early Effects and disease
This exhibit provides insight into the evolution of tobacco and the social and cultural aspects of tobacco consumption.
The pleasure drug was a huge success in colonial America, but that did not extend well across seas. This made it more taboo in Great Britain. In Europe the high society elites did not accept tobacco at first into their lifestyles because it was seen as something people of a lower class did and the fear of being grouped into that social class by assiocation. The United States decreased production of the drug following the years (1776-1789) to focus on the revolution and the reputation it was recieving but continued to be one of the main producers of the drug until China took that reign.
The Selection of Ben Franklin for The Albany Congress
In the mid 18th century, the American colonies were experiencing a lot of tension. The colonists were traveling west to gather land and resources. This land and these resources were already being competed for by the French, the British, and the Native Americans. As this was occurring in the Ohio River Valley, conflicts were regular and there was a growing realization among the colonists that unity would be necessary to solve this issue. With this in mind, a congress comprised of figures from the colonies was assembled and Ben Franklin was a senior member of this congress later called the Albany Congress. This fact draws interest because the senior members of the Albany congress were not voted into their roles. Ben Franklin was selected for his role in the Albany congress because of his notoriety in politics with a vision for unity and his many connections in the colonies. Knowing more about this topic could give a better perspective into the innerworkings of reputations and relationships among political minds and the citizens of the colonies. This is valuable information because knowing why leaders took specific actions and why citizens followed them is just as important as the actions and events themselves.
Journalism in Pre-Revolutionary America
The press in pre-revolutionary America played a key role in sparking the revolution by shaping public opinion and uniting the colonists through free press, creating pro revolutionary propaganda leading up to the war in 1775. These newspapers and pamphlets dating back almost three hundred years ago reveal an exclusive look at the rationale behind the war and allow us to see a unique perspective from everyday colonists instead of the perspective painted by historians throughout the years.
The Louisiana Purchase the Indigenous Diplomacy
France sold the United States the Louisiana territory in 1803. This occurred when Napoleon made a deal with Robert R. Livingston to sell the entire territory. It was mentioned that France sold this territory, because of their recent war with Great Britian and needed the money from the sale. France sold the territory for $11,250,000. As well as selling the claims they had on the people who lived there under the French rule for $3,750,000. This territory was 2,144,520 square km. However, in the treaty of the purchase, there was not a clear distinction of the boundary line that included this territory. This left more negotiation with Spain and France to figure this out.1
This research will be focused on the Louisiana purchase. Specifically, the effect it had on the indigenous tribes during this time. The significance of this research is to understand the impact of the Indigenous tribes. This research will be focused on the years 1800-1820. This is a part of the United States history that is often ignored, since the focus became taking land from France and having more territory than Great Britain. This research is aimed at those who are unaware of the horrific events the Indigenous nations experienced at this time and how that affected their history and culture. It is important to make this information available in digital form to a wide audience, to educate young scholars on the history of our country. The Louisiana purchase impacted the treatment and agreements in place with the Indigenous nations living on the land.
1“Louisiana Purchase.” Encyclopædia Britannica, October 22, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/event/Louisiana-Purchase
Goods and God: The Intersection of Consumerism and Christianity in Post-Revolutionary America
After American independence and the end of the Revolution in 1783, the young nation was on its way to carve out a distinctly American identity. This exhibit will explore the roles religion and consumerism played in the formation of that identity and the various ways the two interacted, grew, and even reinforced each other. The ways in which material culture mixed with "Freedom of Religion" had an immense impact on the way early Americans saw themselves and their country and would go on the influence the nation's culture for better or worse.
Religion and the Revolutionary War
There were many causes that led up to what is known as the Revolutionary War. This exhibit will include a cause not many people may know: religion. In the earlier decades of the 1700s religion was starting to change. Thus brought a movement to revive the old religious ways. This was something that helped lead up to the war. Some things include events, people, and written works. One event was The Great Awakening, which was the movement for reviving religion. A key person was George Whitefield, who preached among the thirteen colonies during the awakening. Lastly, there are written sermons during the war. This exhibit will show the religious side of causes during the 1700 century leading the Revolutionary War.
How the American revolutionary ideology evolved and led to the war of 1812
The American Revolutionary War was a melting pot of anti-British sentiment, enlightenment ideology, the want for freedoms and self governance, and much more. The legacy of the revolution is still felt throughout history as many revolutions, nations and ideologies are either directly inspired by or call back to the American revolution and its ideals. But after the United States gained independence from Great Britain, the constant fears and stirred up ideologies of the revolutionaries both living in the US and running the country still persisted even after independence had been achieved. This would culminate when after a series of events during the Napoleonic Wars in Europe and Britain seizing and conscripting American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy, and ideological differences caused the US to declare war on the British on June 8th 1812, starting the war of 1812. In this research proposal I wish to demonstrate how the ideologies from the war of independence persisted even after the war and influenced how American diplomacy and actions led to and were both tested and influenced the War of 1812.