In 2008, the right to citizen-elected
representation in Annapolis will be 300 years old. The city charter
granted to Annapolis in 1708 gave the city political reality. With this
exhibit we commemorate the current anniversary by celebrating the quest
for liberty. “Seeking Liberty” characterizes Annapolis from
the beginning. It was a home to religious dissidents, political dissidents
during the American Revolution, and many free African Americans before
Emancipation who fought very hard for the freedom of those who were
enslaved.
Archaeologists from Archaeology in Annapolis,
the University of Maryland and Historic Annapolis Foundation have dug
over forty sites in Annapolis in twenty-six years. We’ve had a
great time and we’ve discovered the city’s treasures. Much
of the best archaeology was from the 18th century. We have found material
belonging to European colonists and lots of materials that belong to
African Americans. We’ve uncovered material from as early as the
late 17th century and as recent as the 20th century. There is archaeology
almost everywhere in the city and we are going to show it off during
the City’s 300th anniversary.
The “Seeking Liberty” exhibit features artifacts from five
sites in Historic Annapolis: the Governor Calvert House, Reynolds Tavern,
the Jonas Green House, the Brice House and the Maynard-Burgess House.
Many of these artifacts have never been on display for the public before
this. We hope you will visit the exhibit which will be on display at
the Banneker-Douglas Museum in Annapolis from February through November
2008. There will also be a few smaller exhibits open to the public at
some of the sites involved in the exhibit. Check this site for details
on those exhibits and other announcements.
We hope to see you at the museum!
