This program celebrates printing history and its hand-in-hand associations with protest for change in America, from the Revolutionary period to the current day. Printed products were the social media of the American Revolution. They continue to serve activists today as a tool of civil demonstrations. While most people might think that digital media has replaced older forms of graphic expression, printing is alive and well as part of American protest culture.

This afternoon program will be an objects-out-of-storage event that will include artifacts from different collecting units in the museum and knowledgeable curators who will discuss their collections with the public. Any visitor who has ever held a cause close to their heart will be inspired by the history represented in these artifacts, the methods used to print them, and the insight they offer people who are forming their civic identity today—often through digital social media. The program will also include working printing presses where visitors can make their own impressions and take away newly printed works.