Driving the news: Celebratory ceremonies marked the plane’s inaugural flight at departure in Washington, D.C., and its first stop in Kansas City, Missouri. Representatives from Boeing, the National Archives, the National Archives Foundation, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Kansas City Recruiting Battalion, local officials, media, and content creators attended both events. Distinguished guests included Ambassador Monica Crowley, chief of protocol of the United States; Jim Byron, senior advisor to the archivist; and Dr. Matthew Naylor, president & CEO, The National WWI Museum and Memorial.
- “This initiative is all about bringing our history to life and sending America’s big birthday party from the nation’s capital to the very heart of America,” said Ambassador Crowley, while giving remarks at the Washington D.C. sendoff event. “This traveling exhibition will offer viewers an extraordinary and tangible reminder of our founders’ original American spirit and a renewed sense of civic pride as we journey through the semiquincentennial celebration.”
The National Archives Freedom Plane Tour: For more information on tour dates and museum tickets, click here.
The big picture: From coast to coast, the Freedom Plane will bring nine original Founding-era documents to communities, giving viewers a physical connection to the past while helping unite, educate and inspire current and future generations.
By Wen Huber
