Trump-Unveiled Spirit of '76 Exhibit Opens With 22 Statues for America's 250th Anniversary
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 26
Trump-Unveiled Spirit of '76 Exhibit Opens With 22 Statues for America's 250th Anniversary
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 26
Summary
Freedom Plaza has opened the free "Spirit of '76" exhibition, a temporary installation with 22 statues and sculptural works tied to the U.S. semiquincentennial.
Matthew Taylor said the show centers on overlooked Revolutionary figures, led by Caesar Rodney, who rode about 80 miles through a storm in 1776 to break Delaware's deadlock for independence.
Key works include a restored Rodney equestrian statue, 12 bronze Revolutionary soldiers, a prison-ship martyrs memorial and the 23-foot "Spirit of Liberty" holding a bronze Declaration of Independence.
The prison-ship memorial highlights a lesser-known toll of the war: nearly 12,000 Americans died aboard British prison ships, more than were killed in combat, according to the National Park Service.
Commissioned by Trump and backed by the National Park Service, the exhibition is meant to honor the Revolution's "heroes and martyrs" and remain on display through the 250th anniversary celebration.