The State Archives plans to display original state constitutional documents as part of the State Capitol’s Fourth of July celebration commemorating 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The exhibition, “To Preserve the Blessings of Liberty” in the State Capitol will take place during the family-friendly Capitol 250: NC Freedom Fest set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 4 in downtown Raleigh.
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According to the State Archives, the July 4 exhibit will showcase the first North Carolina Constitution, ratified on Dec. 18, 1776, and the state’s Declaration of Rights, alongside John Adams’s “Thoughts on Government” letter to William Hooper, one of North Carolina’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence.
“Adams’s guidance in March 1776 profoundly influenced the new state government. Exhibit panels and staff will discuss ways the North Carolina Constitution has changed over time including the current constitution, third in the state’s history and ratified in 1971,” organizers said.
Visitors will also be able to view:
- The 1868 North Carolina Constitution, written during Reconstruction with the state’s first “Black Caucus” of 13 African American delegates at the Constitutional Convention.
- A 1777 draft broadside of the Articles of Confederation, the document that established the United States’ federal government.
- A 1787 broadside edition of the U.S. Constitution, debated in the state’s General Assembly.
The Capitol 250: NC Freedom Fest is an “all-day festival is a celebration of the arts, history, nature, and culture that define North Carolina’s role in the nation’s story,” according to celebration organizers, that begins at 9:30 a.m. with a parade organized by the North Carolina Department of Labor.
Headlining the freedom fest are North Carolina-based singer-songwriters Tift Merritt and Rissi Palmer. Also scheduled to perform are Nest of Singing Birds, 82nd Airborne All-American Brass Quintet, Wake & District Raleigh Pipe Band, N.C. Governor’s School Choir, Poet Zack Zachary, and Poetry Fox.
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There will be an Independence Day Ceremony, trolley tours of historic downtown Raleigh, living history and special exhibits, historic fashion show, more than 50 vendors and food trucks, a Hurricanes KidZone, sponsored by the Carolina Hurricanes, and storytime.
The city of Raleigh has scheduled fireworks to wrap up the day at 9:30 p.m. that day at Dix Park.
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources manages more than 100 sites that preserve and promote arts and culture, history, and natural areas, including the State Archives.
For more information, contact State Archives Outreach Coordinator Adrienne Berney at adrienne.berney@dncr.nc.gov or 919-814-6863.
