The Declaration of Independence. The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Monroe Doctrine. These bedrock documents laid the foundational "blueprints" of American democracy — and, some of the earliest printings and engravings of these iconic pieces will be on view at the Oregon Historical Society (1200 SW Park Ave., Portland) from July 29 through Feb. 1, 2017, in the original exhibition “Democracy's Blueprints: The Documents that Built America.”
In this election year there is no better time to see and study the documents that built and continue to guide our democracy. With the exception of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., I don't think there is any museum in the country where you can see so many priceless historic printings and engravings at one place at one time.
One extraordinary standout of this exhibition, on loan from the Mark Family Collection, is the 1733 engraving of the Magna Carta. Written in 1215, the Magna Carta was the first document to limit the power of a monarch, and it is regarded as the cornerstone of Western democracy. When the only surviving original copy affixed with the Great Seal of King John was damaged by a fire in 1731, a new copy was commissioned. This illuminated hand-engraved copy includes the original Latin text surrounded by the Coats of Arms of the council of Twenty-Five Barons. Other notable artifacts on view include handwritten letters from George Washington and original engravings of the inaugural addresses of Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and John Quincy Adams.
While the words of these iconic documents have remained unchanged for centuries, citizens and politicians have continuously debated their meaning and application — challenging each other on issues such as the balance of power in the branches and the purviews of state and federal governments. Please join us as we discuss the relevance of these bedrock documents from our past and consider how they continue to guide and impact present-day politics.
For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state's collective memory, preserving a collection of artifacts, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. The OHS’s research library, museum, digital platforms and website (www.ohs.org), educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon's history accessible to all. The OHS exists because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon's cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.
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