FORT BELVOIR, Va. — A new exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Army may be the most extensive collection of Revolutionary War artifacts under one roof since the 1770s.
"Call to Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War" invites visitors to explore rare relics that witnessed iconic chapters in American history, from Lexington and Concord to the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Museum Director Paul Morando said the exhibit was four years in the making.
"It's amazing to see how this all came together," Morando said.
Morando and his team searched widely for objects connected to the Revolution.
"Artifacts loaned from major institutions and museums from around the world. We have artifacts from France, from England, from Canada, some that never been seen before, especially all together at once," Morando said.
The collection includes uniforms worn by colonials and redcoats, pistols owned by General George Washington, and a flag carried in battle by the Patriots in the First Rhode Island Regiment.
"For people to get a deeper understanding what the war was about, it's the objects that hold the power," Morando said. "It's one thing to tell the story, but to actually have artifacts from those particular battles resonates with people. It just makes that connection much stronger."
Museum Public Affairs Officer Susan Fazakerley-Smullen said the real objects serve as a testament to the sacrifices of those who fought for independence.
"Ninety nine percent of the time, when a visitor walks through the door and it's their first time to the museum, consistently it's wow, I had no idea," Fazakerley-Smullen said. "We continue our storytelling approach by telling and sharing army history through personal accounts."
Alongside the artifacts, augmented reality time portals allow visitors to experience 18th-century environments using 21st-century technology — from the Boston Massacre and Valley Forge to Independence Hall.
"I think when a person can kind of transport themselves into an environment, you are now the part of the story," Fazakerley-Smullen said.
At the center of the exhibit stand lifelike figures of individuals from the American Revolution.
"through these realistic cast figures that give sort of a human element to who these soldiers were, what they wore, what they carried, what they fought with," Morando said.
Among those figures are John Lane and his wife, Anna Maria, who fought on the front lines together and were both wounded in action. Anna Maria is the only documented female Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia to receive a pension. Following the war, the Lanes settled, lived, and worked in Richmond, near Capitol Square.
"If you look closely, you can see the sweat on their brow, the cuts, the bruising, the grime, and dirt from musket fire, and things like that," Morando said.
Fazakerley-Smullen said Anna Maria's figure is positioned so that visitors encounter her after learning about the Battle of Bunker Hill.
"When the visitor comes around... they turn that corner... There's Anna Maria, and she's locking eyes with you, and she's telling you, 'Come on into the story,'" Fazakerley-Smullen said. "I think, whenever you present the history through those personal accounts that invites the visitor to step into that story, particularly around the time of America 250, it's a great time to reconnect with our nation's history."
Morando said the breadth of the collection makes the exhibit a singular opportunity for visitors.
"To have so many of these objects in one exhibit at the same time is truly remarkable. This is a once in a lifetime exhibit," Morando said. "I think it's important as a nation to know where we came from, how we became a free and independent country, and it started with our soldiers."
"We welcome folks to come and explore," Morando said.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
