A new story is being told at the American Revolution Museum with a special exhibit called AfterWARd, which opens June 10.
The special exhibit will chronicle post-war lives of veterans like Henry Knox, Alexander Hamilton, James Lafayette, the Marquis de Lafayette and lesser-known veterans of the Siege of Yorktown.
“A lot of people think of the seize of Yorktown as an ending but the way we’re looking at it from this exhibit is that Yorktown isn’t so much of an ending but it’s a beginning,” curator Kate Gruber said. “It’s a beginning of something new, and it’s the point at which these veterans of the American Revolution walk off the battlefield and they essentially walk into the rest of their lives into this new world that they helped create.”
The exhibit will feature more than 60 artifacts to illustrate Revolutionary War veterans ongoing contribution and influence throughout history.
The artifacts are loans from other institutions, including American and British museums.
Aaron Warkentin, curator of the Studebaker National Museum, in South Bend, Indiana, loaned its circa 1824 carriage used by the Marquis de Lafayette.
“Our director and I felt that it was well worth the loan. (We) wanted to increase the exposure of not only our museum but the history of Marquis de Lafayette,” said Warkentin.
Artifacts, illustrations, short films and interactives will help tell the stories of Charles Cornwallis post-Revolution in India as well as George Washington’s vision for a new nation.
An interactive Legacy Wall multimedia display will highlight stories and images of veterans from all eras of American history.
“We tell stories of ordinary people who lived in an extraordinary time, and that’s true for the special exhibit. These men and women were veterans just like the many veterans that are in our region today, and they had to figure out what’s next,” Gruber said.
Visitors are encouraged to add their own stories to the wall and find personal connections to the veterans of Yorktown.
AfterWARd
Where:the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is located at 200 Water St., near Yorktown Battlefield.
When: June 10-Nov. 27
Admission: $12 for adults, $7 for ages 6-12, and free for children under age 6.
Members of the military can purchase in advance discounted admission tickets .
Residents of York and James City counties and city of Williamsburg, including College of William and Mary students, receive free admission with proof of residency.
