PRIVATE TOUR OF "FIVE INDEPENDENT SOULS: THE SIGNERS FROM NJ" AT MORVEN

The stories of the five signers of the Declaration of Independence from NJ as told through the artifacts from their lives. In June 1776, the provincial congress of New Jersey sent five new delegates to Philadelphia with instructions to vote for independence from Great Britain. These five men were all landowners of varying backgrounds, and included farmers, lawyers, a surveyor, and a Presbyterian minister. Each was married with a large family -- among them, they fathered fifty children! They would have understood that their vote amounted to treason against the King. Five Independent Souls explores the lives of these lesser known founding fathers, examining who they were before, during, and after the signing. This exhibit also confronts one of the most confounding actualities around the signers of the Declaration of Independence: these five men, who put their lives on the line for liberty, freedom, and equality, simultaneously denied these very same rights to the people they enslaved. Visitors can learn about the lives of these subjugated men, women, and children who would have witnessed conversations on freedom and equality while being held in bondage in the homes of these patriots. Morven exhibit experts will personally guide us through the five rooms of over 100 artifacts from the NJ five signers of the Declaration of Independence including Hunterdon County's John Hart. Meet us at the Museum before or after lunch. Two tours available, both free through the Hunterdon 300th, but reservations are required. Tours are limited to 20 people each.