Remembering the American Revolution, 1776 - 2026

How have the people and events of 1776 been remembered and commemorated—or even mythologized and commercialized? And how have artifacts, pictures, and even souvenirs shaped these stories?

This exhibition features objects related to the American Revolution, as well as items produced to commemorate those events, notably for the World’s Fairs of 1876 and 1926, and the U.S. Bicentennial of 1976. Collected by Henry Sheldon and community members, past and present, these artifacts illuminate how methods of commemoration and exhibition have shaped public memory, attesting to different ideas about American identity, gender roles, race, war and pacificism, rebellion or resistance, across different historical and political contexts.

Curated by Middlebury College Associate Professor Ellery Foutch and students of the Spring 2026 course “Remembering the American Revolution," part of the Axinn Center for the Public Humanities Labs Initiative, with support from Julia Breckenridge and HSM Staff.

Image: Dominique C. Fabronius, “1776-1876: Hundredth Anniversary of Our Independence” (advertisement for Merchant’s Gargling Oil), 1876. Chromolithograph. Stewart-Swift Research Center. x1979.448