Photo: HMNS (the plane & Patrick Madden, Chief Executive Officer, National Archives Foundation, Leroy E. Cain, Program Manager International Space Station & Boeing Houston Site Leader, Jelain Chubb, State Archivist and Director, Texas State Library and Archives Commission / Texas America 250 Archives Commission, and Joel Bartsch, President & CEO, Houston Museum of Natural Science)

The Freedom Plane, a special Boeing 737, touched down at Hobby Airport on May 4 carrying a rare collection of our country’s founding documents for the nation’s 250^th birthday celebration, to a water canon salute and a rousing chorus of the National Anthem by the Summer Creek High School Choir.

These documents, from the National Archives, are touring only eight U.S. cities and the Houston Museum of Natural Science is where you can see them right here in the Houston Southeast district.

Photo: National Archive Foundation (the Declaration of Independence)

“As our nation approaches its 250^th anniversary, there is no more fitting tribute than bringing these original documents, leaving the National Archives together for the very first time, directly to the American people,” said Joel Bartsch, President and CEO of HMNS. “From George Washington’s oath as a Continental Army officer to the Treaty of Paris that secured our independence, these are not replicas or reproductions. They are the genuine records, and Houston will have the rare privilege of experiencing them in person this May.”​​​​​​​​​​​

“Through our critical support of the Freedom Plane National Tour, the National Archives Foundation is helping to bring not only founding-era documents themselves, but the patriotism, celebration, and wonder that they inspire, to Americans everywhere — from sea to shining sea,” said National Archives Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Patrick M. Madden.

“At Boeing, we’re honored to help bring these foundational documents directly to communities across the country,” said Jeff Shockey, Executive Vice President of Boeing Government Operations, Global Public Policy & Corporate Strategy. “Just as flight connects people and places, this tour will connect Americans to the ideas and sacrifices that forged our nation and make history accessible to people from coast to coast.”

Here are just some of the nine documents you can in person at the HMNS:

• Original Engraving of the Declaration of Independence, 1823:One of only about 50 known engraved copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed from a copperplate of the original. Commissioned by John Quincy Adams and made by engraver William J. Stone, the engraving captured the size, text, lettering, and signatures of the original document (on loan from David M. Rubenstein).
• Articles of Association, 1774: Signed by all 53 delegates, the Articles of Association urged colonists to boycott British goods and was the Continental Congress’s first major unified act of resistance against Britain.
• George Washington’s, Alexander Hamilton’s, and Aaron Burr’s Oaths of Allegiance, 1778: Oaths of Allegiance that all officers of the Continental Army signed during the Revolutionary War.
• Treaty of Paris, 1783: Signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay, this Treaty with Great Britain formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.
• Secret Printing of the Constitution in Draft Form, 1787:A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution in draft form, with the delegate’s handwritten notes made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
• Tally of Votes Approving the Constitution, 1787:The voting records of the Constitutional Convention reflecting the debates, resolutions, and eventual vote on the final text that would become the Constitution.

This exhibit runs through the 25^th and is free to the public. But large crowds are expected so expect a wait and you will need a ticket. Members can select the time slot of their choice, otherwise tickets are on a first-come-first-served basis at the HMNS box office. Do note that due to the frailty of the historic documents, lighting in the exhibit will be quite low.

by Marene Gustin