"Documents that Shaped America," the Indiana Historical Society’s newest exhibit, opens Saturday at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in downtown Indianapolis.
The exhibit, in collaboration with The Remnant Trust, features early editions of important manuscripts in American history, such as a first edition of the U.S. Constitution, one of five known copies, and a first edition of the Gettysburg Address, according to a statement from the society.
The exhibit also features texts that helped build the major foundational pieces of western democratic philosophy, such as a 1350 edition of the Magna Carta.
Jody Blankenship, president and CEO of the society, said they started by taking a look at the available materials and thinking about how different pieces come together to illustrate and examine how American values were formed.
“How they expanded to include other voices, and both the conflict and the compromise and cooperation that came that was necessary in order to expand access to rights and equality in the United States,” Blankenship said.
He added that he hopes people can look at these works and think about what they meant in the time they were popular and what they mean for us today.
“We think this is a start of a great conversation to have about where we are today, where we came from, and similar times and situations in which, in the past, where we have dealt with some of the struggles we have today and what that teaches us,” Blankenship said.
Blankenship said the physical piece of exhibits that showcase documents from the past are important to him, and he thinks to others, because it's a tangible remnant of the past.
“It's something that has been through, in some cases, centuries of history, and it's witnessed that and it lasted,” Blankenship said.
The ideas in these books, Blankenship said, are issues that people have been struggling with for a long time.
“The ideas are ideas that have played a role far beyond things like the founding of the United States, but in things like the civil rights movement, both here in the United States and international movements,” Blankenship said.
Visitors also will have the opportunity to touch history by exploring additional items from the Remnant Trust collection through a supervised experience according to the release.
The Remnant Trust collection contains historic manuscripts, books and publications that cover topics like religion, politics and economics. The Trust also uses its collection to promote conversations on topics such as liberty and human dignity.
Usually, Blankenship said, exhibits at the Indiana Historical Society last for about 18 months while “Documents that Shaped America” will only last about seven months. This is partly because the documents are pretty old and fragile.
“We think this is a unique opportunity because to see these items amassed in one location is pretty unusual,” Blankenship said. “You would have to go see, you'd have to travel to several cities here in the United States and potentially abroad to see this stuff.”
The exhibit will run through Jan. 14 and will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
