MANSFIELD — The Jared Mansfield Chapter DAR has announced the opening of the American Revolution Experience at the Samuel D. Isaly Library of the Ohio Genealogical Society, 611 State Route 97 West, Bellville, on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The innovative pop-up exhibition includes display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology and unique artifacts and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of our nation.
Created through a collaboration between the American Battlefield Trust and the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, the exhibit is also made possible by generous matching funds from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program battlefield interpretation grants.
The exhibit will run through Aug. 28 and be available for viewing Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Special programming will be available at 2 p.m. each day, including talks about Colonial Clothing, Beginning Genealogy and Richland County History.
On Friday, Aug. 21 at 2 p.m., a colonial militia re-enactor will educate us on all aspects of life in New England during the Revolution.
The Mansfield/Richland County Library, 43 W. Third St, Mansfield, will receive the exhibit on Aug. 29 and run through Sept. 5. Special guest, George Washington, will be in the Community Room Main branch on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 2 p.m. for his presentation about the Miracle of the Crossing of Delaware.
On Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 6:30 p.m., the public is invited to learn all about colonial clothing.
The American Revolution Experience launched online in its first digital-only iteration during the summer of 2022 to rapid acclaim and received a Bronze Award in the Education, Art, & Culture division of the second annual Anthem Awards, an initiative of the Webby Awards celebrating purpose and mission-driven work.
It was also a finalist in the “People’s Choice” category of the Webbys themselves.
The traveling exhibit includes 12 panels highlighting thematic connections between profiled individuals and three interactive kiosks that connect to the full digital biographies, provide documentary context on the Revolutionary War and offer information on how to visit the places tied to these individuals today.
Both online and on-site, the American Revolution Experience features custom illustrations by South Carolina-based artist Dale Watson.
The exhibit also draws from documents and objects in DAR’s collection, as well as the Trust’s industry leading digital interpretation resources.
“Independence may have been declared in Philadelphia by the Declaration’s 56 signers, but it was hard-won on the battlefields we protect by the thousands of Patriot soldiers from whom today’s Daughters trace descent,” said Trust President David Duncan.
“Together, our organizations bear witness to the fact that we are not so far removed from those impactful events, that there are meaningful ways to bridge those 250 years.”
The Samuel D. Isaly Library of the Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS) and the Mansfield/Richland County Library Main branch are among the scores of libraries, historical societies and museums that will host the American Revolution Experience through 2027, introducing visitors to a cast of historical characters with diverse experiences throughout the conflict and the places they visited on their journey.
Individual DAR chapters across the nation, including Jared Mansfield Chapter DAR, have partnered with institutions in their communities to offer venues for the exhibit, booking its current complement of copies to capacity.
The American Revolution Experience invites visitors to consider the choice faced by members of the revolutionary generation as tensions mounted in the 1770s:
Would these ordinary citizens risk their lives and livelihoods in pursuit of liberty? Or would they remain loyal subjects of the British crown, coming into conflict with neighbors and family?
The exhibit surfaces diverse viewpoints and experiences, touching on the journeys — both literal and figurative — of Patriots and Loyalists, men and women, Black and Native populations and even international allies.
Rather than focusing only on generals and famous statesmen, it introduces audiences to drummer boys, military mapmakers and other ordinary people who were impacted by global events.