civics - American Independence Museum

Folsom Tavern Tours

by ion | May 18, 2021

18th century two story wooden tavern with yellow architectural detailing and a dark green door.

Register For Tours

Masks and pre-registration are required.

Join the American Independence Museum for a new and exciting tour experience! Join one of our docents for an hour-long tour of the Folsom Tavern. Our new Folsom Tavern tour will examine its unique history, the place that taverns held in colonial and revolutionary history and the different experiences that people had in taverns. Your tour will last approximately 45 minutes with the opportunity to continue exploring the Tavern and museum grounds independently.

Interested in arranging a private tour for your group or classroom? Email us at [email protected]

Cost:

$8 – Adults
$5 – Seniors, Students, Educators & First Responders
$3 – Children (ages 6-18)
FREE for Museum Members and Veterans.

Folsom Tavern Tours

by ion | May 18, 2021

Register For Tours

Masks and pre-registration are required.

Join the American Independence Museum for a new and exciting tour experience! Join one of our docents for an hour-long tour of the Folsom Tavern. Our new Folsom Tavern tour will examine its unique history, the place that taverns held in colonial and revolutionary history and the different experiences that people had in taverns. Your tour will last approximately 45 minutes with the opportunity to continue exploring the Tavern and museum grounds independently.

Interested in arranging a private tour for your group or classroom? Email us at [email protected]

Cost:

$8 – Adults
$5 – Seniors, Students, Educators & First Responders
$3 – Children (ages 6-18)
FREE for Museum Members and Veterans.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

Tavern Talk: Digging Into Native History in New Hampshire

by ion | May 17, 2021

Click Here to Register

Abenaki history has been reduced to near-invisibility as a result of conquest, a conquering culture that placed little value on the Indian experience, and a strategy of self-preservation that required many Abenaki to go “underground,” concealing their true identities for generations to avoid discrimination and persecution. Robert Goodby reveals archaeological evidence that shows their deep presence here, inches below the earth’s surface.

More information
Presented by Dr. Robert Goodby as part of New Hampshire Humanities to Go program.

This Tavern Talk will include an introduction to the film, a screening, and a guided discussion afterwards.

Service Credit Union invests $5,000 in support for Traveling Trunk program

by ion | May 13, 2021 | For Kids, Free, Living History

Recently, Service Credit Union renewed their long standing partnership with the American Independence Museum with an investment of $5,000 to support its Traveling Trunk program. This program delivers experiential learning opportunities into the classroom. Expected to travel more than 17,000 miles in 2022, school districts throughout the United States will continue to have access to the program at no cost.

Minnesota, California, and Pennsylvania are just some of the stops for next year’s Traveling Trunk program, which uses 70+ high quality replica items and colonial history curriculum to engage students of varying ages.

“The trunk gave students a new perspective as to what life was like for the colonists. Students explored clothing replicas from the 1700s. Also, students reenacted the signing of the Declaration of Independence with other artifacts from the trunk. Thank you for making our American Revolution Unit more engaging!” said Hannah Evans, a middle school Social Studies teacher from New Oxford, Pennsylvania who received the trunk in 2020.

The investment marks the fifth year Service Credit Union has financially contributed to the program.

“The credit union has enjoyed being a part of the more than 19,000 miles this exhibit traveled last year, and is excited to continue supporting the traveling trunk this year as it supplies interactive and unique learning opportunities to classrooms near and far.” said Wendy Beswick, VP of Marketing at Service Credit Union

In addition to continued financial support from Service Credit Union, the Traveling Trunk program was made possible with initial seed funding from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

To learn more about the Traveling Trunk program, or to book it for your classroom or library, visit independencemuseum.org.

About Service Credit Union
Service Credit Union is dedicated to providing a banking experience that improves members’ lives, as well as the communities in which they live. SCU serves members all over the world, including in-person service at 50 branch locations in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, North Dakota and Germany. For more information, visit https://servicecu.org.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.

American Independence Museum to virtually host Uprooted: Heartache and Hope in New Hampshire

by ion | May 11, 2021 | Events, For Adults, Free, Lectures

On Thursday, May 20, the American Independence Museum will host a virtual screening of the film Uprooted: Heartache and Hope in New Hampshire from 6 to 7 p.m.

Uprooted is a 30-minute documentary based on interviews collected during New Hampshire Humanities’ Fences & Neighbors initiative on immigration.

Telling the story of five refugees who resettled in New Hampshire after leaving war-torn countries, the film examines what it means to be a refugee and how these five individuals made new lives for themselves in a strange place, separated from their families and often without communities, English language skills, or jobs.

These stories of the challenges faced by newcomers to New Hampshire echo the stories of those who crossed the Atlantic seeking new lives during the colonial period: religious persecution, personal freedoms, government oppression, and the promise of opportunity.

“We hope to engage our Museum communities in discussions of belonging and citizenship. Uprooted highlights immigrant experiences and asks us to critically think about and understand the American struggle for freedom,” said Program Assistant, Emma Scheinmann.

The screening, which will take place on Zoom, will include a post-film discussion led by Dr. Sara Withers, the project director and a Senior Lecturer at University of New Hampshire. Dr. Withers is a Cultural Anthropologist studying the lives and experiences of refugees in the Granite State.

This event is sponsored by New Hampshire Humanities’s Humanities to Go Program, which offers over 500 high-quality cultural programs that are free and open to the public.

Registration is required for this free program, which takes place on Thursday, May 20 from 6 to 7 p.m.

To register for this virtual tavern talk, visit independencemuseum.org.

Home to a world-class collection of 3,000 historic artifacts, the museum is currently developing a variety of public and education programs in digital formats to encourage digital inclusion for all ages.

About the American Independence Museum
The American Independence Museum is a history museum in Exeter, NH that features a collection of 3,000 historic artifacts that shed light on the American Revolution. Many of our programs touch on civics and the fight for independence, while we incorporate inclusivity and diversity into the experiences we create on-site and in digital formats. We feature a variety of things to do for people of all ages, including festivals, an historic tavern, guided tours and our annual American Independence Festival.