The State Capitol will highlight North Carolina’s original constitutional documents as part of a Fourth of July celebration.
A State Archives of North Carolina “One-Day Wonders” traveling exhibit, “To Preserve the Blessings of Liberty”: State Constitutions of North Carolina, will be on display in the historic building in Union Square as part of 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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Featuring materials that commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, the exhibit to be displayed on July 4 will showcase the first North Carolina Constitution, ratified on Dec. 18, 1776, the state’s Declaration of Rights, and 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 as part of the one-day only exhibit:
- 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 July 4 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.
