Press release from Charters of Freedom
A celebration of freedom and patriotism took place in Robbinsville, North Carolina this week, as the 61st Charters of Freedom setting nationwide was dedicated on Constitution Day, September 17th. This setting, the 36th of its kind in North Carolina, includes full-scale replicas of the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
Vance and Mary Jo Patterson of Burke County, NC, established Foundation Forward, Inc. with the three principles of “providing education on American History and Civics so people know how the government is supposed to work, providing easy access to see the documents in a local setting, and providing communities a place to honor and reflect”. The Pattersons then began building settings in several other locations across the country, including sites in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, California, Missouri, Virginia, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Nevada, and as far north and west as Wasilla, Alaska.
The dedication of the permanent outdoor display, located at 39 S. Main Street in Robbinsville, was marked by the presentation of a very special framed display of the Civil Rights Amendments, which was gifted to County officials during Tuesday night’s meeting of the Graham County Board of Commissioners. This display was commissioned by Foundation Forward, Inc. of Burke County, N.C. to include the 13th, 14th, 15th, 19th, and 24th Amendments which abolished slavery, guaranteed citizenship, gave voting rights to all citizens (male and female), and eliminated the poll tax. The plan is for the framed document to be taken to various schools for educational purposes before being displayed in a permanent location selected by county officials for all to see.
The county will soon receive a signed certificate and the combination to their time capsule vault, which will be sealed at a later date. This vault is installed in every Charters of Freedom setting, and will eventually hold a set of time capsules that will be opened and celebrated in 2087, 2187, and 2287, in recognition of the 300th, 400th, and 500th anniversaries of the signing of the United States Constitution. Included in the time capsules will be letters from local dignitaries, along with veterans, first responders, civic, business, law enforcement and education groups, among others.
This is the 61st Charters of Freedom setting outside of Washington, D.C. According to Patterson, the long-term goal of Foundation Forward, Inc. is to place similar displays in all 3,142 counties, boroughs, parishes, independent cities, and census zones throughout the United States.
For more information, please visit www.chartersoffreedom.com.
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