10/08/2026
Visit the museum soon to see our current library show, "Nothing Short of Independence: Selections from the Library & Archives," on view until October 16, 2026!
On display in the Van Gorden-Williams Library & Archives reading room are objects from the collection produced during the American Revolutionary War. These items can help us see both the smaller activities that sustained the war as well as the larger picture of how the war impacted combatants and ordinary people.
From a 1776 sermon to material related to the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, to Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown in 1781, and the discharge of soldiers who helped fight the war, these items can help us connect to this past and to reflect on what this history means to us today.
This certificate, signed by George Washington, discharged Private Samuel Wright of the First New York Regiment, on June 8, 1783. Wright’s regiment participated in many engagements during the war, including the Siege of Yorktown. The bottom of this document notes that Wright was “honored with the Badge of Merit for Six Years faithful Service.” The Badge of Merit (also called a Badge of Distinction) honored soldiers and non-commissioned officers “who have served more than three years with bravery, fidelity and good conduct…”
Learn more about this exhibition at https://bit.ly/48OWeTl.
