The Bill of Rights was the center of discussion earlier this week at a special National Constitution Center event about the new George H.W. Bush Gallery, where an original copy of the Bill will be on display in Philadelphia.
Among the dignitaries in attendance to welcome the Bill of Rights were Court Justice Samuel Alito and National Constitution Center chairman Jeb Bush.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, Anthony W. Marx, president of The New York Public Library, and David M. Rubenstein, the co-founder and co-chief executive officer of The Carlyle Group also spoke at a special event hosted by National Constitution Center president Jeffrey Rosen.
About 200 people gathered for an hour-long presentation and discussion about the new George H.W. Bush Gallery and its upcoming feature exhibit, “Constituting Liberty: From The Declaration To The Bill Of Rights.”
For three years through December 2017, the gallery will feature rare copies of America’s three founding documents. The exhibition will display a first edition Stone Engraving of the Declaration of Independence, a copy of the first public printing of the U.S. Constitution, and an original Bill of Rights—one of 12 surviving copies sent to the states by President George Washington in 1789.
All three documents will be on display for guests to view at the gallery. This particular copy of the Bill of Rights was acquired by The New York Public Library in 1896. Through an historic agreement between The Library and Pennsylvania, the document will be alternatively displayed to the public in both New York and Pennsylvania for the next 100 years.
Full video of the event below.
Photo Credit: David Almacy