Revolutionary War exhibit coming to WCHS Aug. 25-Sept. 3

The Wooster-Wayne Chapter of National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution will host the “American Revolution Experience” at the Wayne County Historical Society in Wooster from Aug. 25 through Sept. 3. This Revolutionary War exhibition is a collaborative project of the American Battlefield Trust and the NSDAR.

Set up in the 1873 Wooster Township Schoolhouse, the exhibit will be open on Sundays and Labor Day from 1-5 p.m., Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibit is free.

The pop-up exhibition includes display panels and digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with the people and places that shaped the birth of the nation.

“The American Revolution would not have happened without the decisions, sacrifices and valor of ordinary people,” DAR President Gen. Pamela Rouse Wright said.

The “American Revolution Experience” invites visitors to consider the choices 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 provides diverse viewpoints and experiences, touching on the journeys — both literal and figurative — of patriots and loyalists, men and women, Black and Native populations, and international allies.

“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,” American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan said.

Rather than focusing only on generals and famous statesmen, the exhibition introduces audiences to drummer boys, military mapmakers and other ordinary people who were impacted by global events.

On Saturday, Aug. 31, Dr. Jason Anderson, portraying Gen. David Wooster, will be at the historical society to interact with visitors. You may be asked to sign an oath of allegiance or complete an enlistment form to join Gen. Wooster’s Connecticut regiment. Activities also will be available daily for younger children.

From a grassroots organization started by historians nearly 40 years ago, the American Battlefield Trust has grown into one of the most successful land preservation and education organizations in the nation. It has protected almost 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War, representing 160 sites in 25 states from Massachusetts to New Mexico. Its 350,000 members and supporters believe in the power of place and the continued relevance of shared history to modern American society. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With nearly 190,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations. For more information email woowaydar@gmail.com.