INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Historical Society (IHS)’s newest exhibit, Documents That Shaped America, opens May 21 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.
The new exhibit features an impressive collection of early editions of some of the most important manuscripts in American history, including a first edition printing (1788) of the U.S. Constitution (one of five known copies), a first edition of the Gettysburg Address, and an early edition of Life & Times of Frederick Douglass (1893). It also features texts that helped build the major foundational pieces of Western democratic philosophy, such as a 1350 edition of the Magna Carta.
In addition to seeing items included in the exhibit display, visitors will also have the opportunity to touch history through exploring additional items from The Remnant Trust collection — through a supervised experience in either the Rapp Gallery or IHS’s William Henry Smith Memorial Library.
These items come from the collection of The Remnant Trust, which uses its collection to promote conversations on topics such as liberty and human dignity. The collection contains historic manuscripts, books and publications that encompass subjects such as religion, philosophy, politics, mathematics, science and economics. In addition to the current exhibit, IHS has partnered with The Remnant Trust to house the 1,557 items in the collection and provide public access to these important items.
Documents That Shaped America will run through January 14, 2023. For a list of items on display, or for more information about these exhibits and other IHS offerings, call 317-232-1882 or visit www.indianahistory.org.