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The U.S. Constitution embodies the ideas that unite Americans
and it serves as the foundation of our participatory democracy.
It is a living document that spells out the freedoms that
Americans hold dear, while requiring citizen participation
in order to form a more perfect union.
This Constitution Day, IMLS features a project
of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the country’s
sole museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution. Located on
Independence Mall, just three blocks from Independence Hall,
where the document was signed on September 17, 1787, the Center
maintains an interpretive facility and a program of national
outreach that increases public understanding of the Constitution,
its history, and relevance today.
With the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin’s
birth in January 2006, the museum had a special opportunity
to honor one of the signers of the Constitution and explore
his profound contributions as a model citizen and as a Founding
Father. An IMLS grant enabled the museum to host a blockbuster
exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World,
from December 2005 through April 2006, as well as present
teacher workshops and several related public programs that
encourage Franklin-styled civic thinking.
Project Design and Goals
Created by the non-profit Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary,
the exhibition was designed to be the centerpiece of Philadelphia’s
celebration of its favorite son and included venues in six
cities in the United States and Europe.
The 8,000 square-foot exhibition brought together
the largest collection of historic items related to Franklin
ever amassed, including many privately held objects never
before displayed publicly. Among the artifacts are Ben Franklin’s
own copy of the Constitution, with handwritten annotations,
and Franklin’s draft of the Albany Plan of Union, an
important precedent for the Articles of Confederation bringing
the thirteen colonies into the first loose union.
The highly interactive and media-rich exhibition
traced Franklin’s life story, his character and his
achievements as an author, scientist, statesman, diplomat,
and civic leader. One section of the exhibition explored Franklin’s
contributions as the oldest delegate to the Constitutional
Convention. It described how, as a seasoned diplomat and negotiator,
he broke a deadlock that resulted in the “Great Compromise”
for a legislature of two houses. And the exhibition described
how Franklin’s desire for unity led to an impassioned
speech at the end of the deliberations urging the other delegates
to sign the Constitution despite its flaws.
Plan in Action
The exhibition debuted nationally at the National Constitution
Center on December 15, 2005, and was a phenomenal success.
That winter, the museum doubled its usual attendance and later
in April it enjoyed its highest ever monthly attendance, with
more visitors even than the museum’s opening in July
2003.
The museum did not rest on the success of the
exhibition alone, however. The National Constitution Center
presented programming it knew would amplify the impact and
meaning of the exhibition and provide opportunity for Franklin-inspired
community involvement.
Always striving to improve himself and his community, Franklin
left a legacy of new civic institutions, including the city’s
first lending library and the nation’s first public
hospital. On January 21, the museum hosted a community volunteer
fair showcasing the work of 20 community organizations, and
the many ways Philadelphia’s residents can make their
own civic contributions. More than 300 people, from teenagers
to senior citizens, attended to learn how they can help museums,
services organizations, and the public library system in Philadelphia.
As a printer and a writer, Benjamin Franklin
was an innovator in communication. Communications technology
continues to evolve, amplifying the free speech guarantees
of the First Amendment. In tribute to Franklin, the National
Constitution Center presented From Poor Richard’s
Almanac to Podcasting: The Next New, New Things in Communications.
Featuring speakers who pioneered new forms of political communication,
the program explored Franklin’s legacy in the world
of communications and the ways new technology users, such
as Internet bloggers, exercise First Amendment freedoms.
For high school teachers, the National Constitution
Center hosted workshops on Saturdays throughout the run of
the Franklin exhibition. Ben Across the Curriculum,
a set of lesson plans developed by the Franklin Tercentenary,
explores the central themes of the exhibition: character matters;
B. Franklin, printer; civic visions; useful knowledge; and
world stage. The museum developed workshops to be presented
by college and museum educators on how to integrate the multi-faceted
lessons of Franklin’s life into their high school classes.
Five workshops were presented, serving 40-50 teachers each.
The museum sponsored an essay contest, in conjunction
with the Newspapers in Education program of the Philadelphia
Inquirer, to identify the Modern Day Ben Franklin. A newspaper
educational supplement was distributed to 40,000 students
in the greater Philadelphia region to solicit submissions,
and the contest was announced on the Web sites of the museum
and the Franklin Tercentenary. More than 2,500 student essays
were received from elementary, middle, and high school students,
describing how celebrities, like Oprah Winfrey, and beloved
family members embody Franklin-characteristics, such as humble
beginnings, inventive spirit, scientific knowledge, and philanthropic
nature. The top winners and their families were feted at a
ceremony at the museum and received passes for their school
classes to see the Franklin exhibition for free.
Results
More than 200,000 people viewed the exhibition during its
four-month run at the National Constitution Center. The blockbuster
exhibition attracted new audiences to the museum. It also
helped to establish the Center as an important venue for major
traveling exhibitions relating to American history, constitutional
issues, and constitutional rights.
Part of the success of the exhibit stems from
the fact that Philadelphians consider Franklin one of their
own. They are proud of the five institutions he founded in
the city: the American Philosophical Society, the Franklin
Institute, the Library Company of Philadelphia (now the Free
Library of Philadelphia), the Philadelphia Museum of Art,
and the University of Pennsylvania. They are proud that a
Philadelphian had such a critical role in helping to form
a more perfect union.
Franklin’s public service and civic usefulness
has been an inspiration for generations in the city. The National
Constitution Center’s exhibition encouraged others to
ask themselves his famous question, “What good shall
I do today?”
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