Artifacts of Independence: Exploring the Physical Record of the Nation's Founding

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in July 2026, the stories of 1776 and beyond are being retold across the country. Primary documents and other artifacts stand as important evidence of the historical record, and as touchstones for discovery that often reveal alternative narratives and more inclusive perspectives that improve our connections to the past.

Artifacts of Independence is a social media series exploring the material record of the Revolutionary era and its ongoing legacy. The series launched in February 2026 and will continue through the anniversary year. While CCAHA conserves materials spanning the full timeline of American history, this series focuses on the founding period because of its enduring influence on national identity — and because our Philadelphia location offers direct access to materials that illuminate the debates, rights, and responsibilities that continue to shape the present.

Through these objects, the American Revolution can be understood in tangible terms: a scorched leather binding, fading iron gall ink, the texture of 18th-century paper. From political documents that shaped new systems of government to personal records that document who was included — and who was left out — these materials hold the evidence of a nation still in formation. Conservation ensures this evidence remains accessible for study, interpretation, and re-examination over time.

This page will be updated throughout the series with links to new posts, featured highlights, and supplemental materials as the series continues.

Follow along on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook as we share more #ArtifactsOfIndependence.
 

#ArtifactsOfIndependence Vol 1. | The Black Founder: Portrait of James Forten

Portrait of James Forten, c. 1818, from the collection of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Museum of the American Revolution's 2023 Exhibit: "Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia." Learn more about the treatment and how CCAHA helped prepare for the exhibit.
 

#ArtifactsOfIndependence Vol 2. | Revision as Revolution: Christ Church Book of Common Prayer 

Book of Common Prayer, 1768, with  historic notations of proposed edits to the prayer book. These edits include modification of prayers for the ruling authorities to reflect the changes brought about by the War for Independence, from the collections of Christ Church, Philadelphia. View high resolution digital scans of the large historic 1766 copy that CCAHA treated in 2003 via the Philadelphia Congregations Project.