AMERICA 250 VIGNETTES interstitials

1. John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence
This is not the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

2. George Washington
How did George Washington’s farewell address reshape America?

3. Robert Livingston
Did you know that Founding Father Robert R. Livingston was a river boat innovator?

4. Emanuel Leutze
Is this the real painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware” or not?

5. Liberty Bell
How did the Liberty Bell get its crack?

6. John Hancock
Why is a signature called a “John Hancock?”

7. Thomas Jefferson
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson advocated for state-funded education?

8. Declaration of Independence
Where should the government get its power?

9. Sam Adams
Why was Founding Father Samuel Adams such a bad tax collector?

10. John Adams
Why did John Adams clash with Benjamin Franklin?

11. Benjamin Franklin
Did you know Benjamin Franklin tried to end the U.S. slave trade?

12. Roger Sherman
How did Roger Sherman prevent a deadlock during the 1787 Constitutional Convention?

13. Edward Rutledge
Why did the youngest Founding Father oppose independence?

14. The Stars and Stripes
America doesn’t stay the same and neither does its flag.

15. The Liberty Tree
Why did British soldiers chop down a tree?

16. The Gadsden Flag
How did this become one of the most famous symbols of the revolution?

17. The Bill of Rights/James Madison
Why did the “Father of the Bill of Rights” initially oppose writing them?

18. Common Sense
How did a 47-page pamphlet kickstart a revolution?

19. The Stamp Act
How did a tax spark a revolution?

20. The Battle of Mobile 1780
What crucial role did Mobile, Alabama play during the American Revolution?

21. Grievances Against the King
How did colonists employ language to paint King George III as a tyrant?

22. The Articles of Confederation
Why didn’t the Articles of Confederation, the first draft of the Constitution, work?

23. American Rattlesnake Cartoon
Before the stars and stripes, the symbol of America was a rattlesnake.

24. Treaty of Paris 1783
Why is the agreement that ended the American Revolution called the Treaty of Paris?

25. Richard Henry Lee
There’s a chance that the Declaration of Independence wouldn’t exist without this guy.

26. The Battle of Bunker Hill
How did American soldiers prove they could challenge the British army, despite taking a loss?

27. Winter at Valley Forge
Winter at Valley Forge was not the Continental Army’s lowest moment. Here's why.

28. The Siege of Yorktown
This three-week battle was the defining victory for the Patriots, ending British rule.

29. The Boston Massacre
How did Paul Revere use the Boston Massacre to gain support for the revolution?

30. The Battles of Lexington and Concord
Who fired the “shot heard ‘round the world”?

31. John Locke
How did the Founders come up with the famous line “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"?

32. Mercy Otis Warren
This New England woman with Puritan roots became one of the fiercest critics of the British Empire.

33. Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers, encouraging the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.

34. Abigail Adams
First Lady Abigail Adams was Second President John Adams' most trusted political advisor.

35. Phillis Wheatley
How did a poet from Africa land a meeting with George Washington?

36. James Monroe
Washington was the only founding father to run unopposed for re-election…until James Monroe.

37. Alabama Land During the Revolution
What did Alabama look like during the American Revolution?

38. Martha Washington
Martha Washington created the blueprint for all the First Ladies after her.

39. Connecticut Compromise
How did a compromise create a form of government the world had never seen before?

40. Crispus Attucks
Who was the first casualty of the American Revolution?

41. Westward Expansion
How did the end of the Revolution increase tensions between the U.S. and Native Americans?

42. Benjamin West Painting
Did you know there's an unfinished painting depicting the moment that ended the American Revolution?

43. The National Anthem
Learn the story behind the first official U.S. national anthem.

44. The Boston Tea Party
American colonists forced several tea ships back to Great Britain in an act of defiance.

45. John Singleton Copley
This famous American Revolution painter actually married into a British Loyalist family.

46. Albany Plan of Union – Join or Die
This is one of the most well-known political cartoons in American history.

47. Taxation without Representation
Was the American Revolution really a war over taxes?

48. Betsy Ross
There’s no definitive proof that Betsy Ross designed the first American flag.

49. Daughters of Liberty
Who were the Daughters of Liberty?

50. The Intolerable Acts
Did Britain punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party?

51. Deborah Sampson
Disguised as a man, Sampson joined the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment during the Revolution.

52. King George III
A complicated symbol of tyranny for the American Colonies.

53. Button Gwinnett
This signer of the Declaration of Independence was not born in America.

54. John Jay
Which Founding Father saved George Washington’s life?

55. James Willing
Why did James Willing organize a river expedition into the Spanish West?

56. The Proclamation of 1763
How did a British “royal decree” make most of modern day Alabama off limits to colonial Americans?

57. Mercy Otis Warren Pamphlet
This pamphlet may be one of the reasons why we have a Bill of Rights today.

58. The Continental Congresses
Before there was a “President of the United States" or a “U.S. Congress,” how did America wage war.

59. The Surrender of Cornwallis
This Revolutionary painting is missing an essential figure.

60. The Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty are most famous for staging the Boston Tea Party.

61. U.S. Constitution
What other governments inspired the U.S. Constitution?

62. The Bald Eagle
For 242 years, we’ve assumed the Bald Eagle was our national bird. But we were wrong.

63. Alabama Veterans after the Revolution
Did you know that over 700 revolutionary soldiers are buried in Alabama?

64. Polly Cooper
Many Patriot soldiers owe their lives to one woman from the Oneida Nation.

65. Charles Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis served the crown and was often George Washington’s battlefield counterpart.

66. Richard Montgomery
Did you know that Alabama's state capitol owes its name to an American Revolutionary War general?

67. Seven Years’ War
How did the Seven Years’ War lead directly to the American Revolution?

68. Yankee Doodle
Was ‘Yankee Doodle’ America’s first diss track?

69. Alexander McGillivray
How did Alexander McGillivray’s multi-cultural background help him navigate the American Revolution?

70. Sophia Durant
Like Paul Revere, Sophia Durant rode miles to stop an attack on her home in Wetumpka,Alabama.

71. Life in the 13 Colonies
Even under British rule, each of the 13 Colonies had its own distinct culture.

72. Charles Carroll
What made Founding Father Charles Carroll of Maryland so unique?

73. The Human Cost of the Revolution
Though Patriot forces were victorious in their fight for independence, what did it cost them?

74. Lafayette’s Visit to Alabama
For the nation’s 50th anniversary, George Washington’s former aide and “America's most prominent foreign dignitary” visited Alabama.

75. Alabama Tribes During the Revolution
Which side did Alabama's indigenous groups support during the American Revolution?