In a nod to the famous “Freedom Train” touring exhibitions from the 20th century, on Monday the National Archives began flying a “Freedom Plane” to bring some of America’s most treasured founding documents straight to you for the country’s 250th birthday. Yes, air freight has gotten so in-demand that you can even get a U.S. Constitution delivered now. The tour will hit eight cities across the country, displaying the artifacts at a local museum for a few weeks before flying off again.
The plane itself is a Boeing 737-7BC built all the way back in 2000, now on loan from Boeing itself to the National Archives and all dressed up nice in Freedom Plane livery, per CNN. In case it needs to be said, this is not a modern 737 MAX, the model that has suffered from fatal crashes and door panel blowouts. Since the safety of these national heirlooms are paramount, we can be glad of that. Indeed, these documents are normally stored in secured vaults and not on display at all, so this is a treat we’re all getting for America’s Semiquincentennial.
The founding of a nation, live on tour
The documents, as you might imagine, are quite elderly and have never been on a plane before. In fact, they were hundreds of years old when the Wright brothers first flew a plane. They are some pretty incredible pieces of history, including but not limited to:
- The Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the American Revolutionary War and established the rebellious colonies as a full nation
- A near-final draft of the U.S. Constitution, with handwritten notes
- One of the original copies (though not the original itself) of the Declaration of Independence
- A draft of the original Bill of Rights, with all 12 of the proposed Constitutional amendments, two of which were never ratified
- Written oaths of allegiance signed by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Alexander Hamilton-killer Aaron Burr in 1778
The Freedom Plane National Tour will begin in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 6 for a two-week stay, before moving on to Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, Miami, and Dearborn before concluding in Seattle.
As impressive as it is, one can’t help but long for the days of the Freedom Train. It’s first tour in the late 1940s hit all 48 contiguous states. The second tour, celebrating the Bicentennial in 1976, brought 500 artifacts to 138 cities, including Martin Luther King’s pulpit and a Moon rock, per the New York Times. In any case, after Freedom Planes and Freedom Trains, we all know where this is going. Bring on the Freedom Automobiles for the Quincentennial.
