August 17, 2016
Page 11
Arts &
ENTERTAINMENT
The Declaration
of Independence
and other bedrock
documents that
laid the foundation
of American
democracy are
on view in a new
exhibit at the
Oregon Historical
Society, downtown.
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Democracy’s Blueprints
See first
printings
of bedrock
documents
The Magna Carta. The Decla-
ration of Independence. The U.S.
Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The Monroe Doctrine. These
bedrock documents laid the foun-
dational “blueprints” of Ameri-
can democracy, and some of the
earliest printings and engravings
of these iconic pieces are now
on view at the Oregon Historical
Society, 1200 S.W. Park Ave.,
through Feb. 1 in the original ex-
hibition Democracy’s Blueprints:
The Documents that Built Amer-
ica.
“In this election year there is
no better time to see and study the
documents that built and contin-
ue to guide our democracy,” said
Kerry Tymchuk, the museum’s
executive director. “With the ex-
ception of the National Archives
in Washington, D.C., I don’t think
there is any museum in the coun-
try where you can see so many
priceless historic printings and en-
gravings at one place at one time.”
One extraordinary standout of
this exhibition, on loan from the
Mark Family Collection, is the
1733 engraving of the Magna
Carta. Written in 1215, the Mag-
na Carta was the first document to
limit the power of a monarch, and
it is regarded as the cornerstone of
Western democracy.
Other notable artifacts on view
include handwritten letters from
George Washington and original
engravings of the inaugural ad-
dresses of Presidents John Adams,
Thomas Jefferson, and John Quin-
cy Adams.
While the words of these icon-
ic documents have remained un-
changed for centuries, citizens and
politicians have continuously de-
bated their meaning and applica-
tion--challenging each other on is-
sues such as the balance of power
in the branches and the purviews
of state and federal governments.
You’re invited to consider the
relevance of these bedrock docu-
ments from our past and consider
how they continue to guide and
impact present-day politics.
The Oregon Historical Soci-
ety’s museum is open seven days a
week. Admission is free for OHS
members and Multnomah Coun-
ty residents thanks to the recent
renewal of the Oregon Historical
Society levy.
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