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Museum Of The American Revolution Grand Opening Features More Than 400 Artifacts

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Visitors to the Museum of the American Revolution not only can learn about the revolutionary period but also the founding ideals of the Declaration of Independence as more than 400 objects help tell the story some you may have heard about and others that may surprise you.

Philip Mead, the director of curators and chief historian at Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution.

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After planning and working on the exhibits for 5 years Mead, says he still gets chills when he encounters historic artifacts.

"These are objects of people who sacrificed their lives for the principal of the revolution and if that doesn't give you chills I don't know what does," he said.

Museum of the American Revolution
Credit: John McDevitt

Mead explains there are objects with political messages that read things like liberty and congress on things like powder horn and hats, believed to be decorated by soldiers.

He also pointed out objects with the number 45 on it, including a shirt pin and tea pot.

"I was shocked that it existed," he said.

Mead says the number symbolizes the 45th issue of radical newspaper The North Briton in which the author was critical of the monarchy and supported free election and freedom of the press.

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The museum would like to hear from people who could possibly have a artifact from revolutionary times.

"We are always grateful when people think of us as a good home for history," he said.

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