Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, the Louisiana State Museum, and Foundation Forward, Inc., today dedicated Louisiana's first Charters of Freedom setting on the grounds of Capitol Park Museum marking a tribute to the nation's founding principles and celebrating Americas 250th anniversary.
Baton Rouge is the first city in Louisiana to receive a Charters of Freedom setting from Foundation Forward, a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit established by Vance and Mary Jo Patterson of Burke County, North Carolina. It’s also the 83rd setting permanently placed in the country.
As the first Charters of Freedom setting in Louisiana, the installation establishes Capitol Park Museum as a destination where visitors can explore both the nation's founding ideals and Louisiana's contributions to the American story during the country's first 250 years and beyond.
The setting features full-size replicas of America's founding documents – the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Civil Rights Amendments – etched in metal and displayed in a setting modeled after the National Archives in Washington, D.C., where the original documents are preserved. The installation is part of Foundation Forward's nationwide initiative to make these historic documents accessible to communities while encouraging civic education and a deeper appreciation of the freedoms and responsibilities of American citizenship.
"As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, this display will inspire every visitor to reflect on the enduring freedoms that unite us and the responsibility we all share to preserve them,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “It will serve as a powerful reminder that the freedoms we enjoy today are rooted in the principles set forth in our nation's founding documents. Placing the Charters of Freedom outside Capitol Park Museum creates a permanent destination where students, families, and visitors can connect with the ideals that shaped America while exploring Louisiana's unique role in our nation's history.”
The addition of the Charters of Freedom setting expands the museum's campus beyond its walls, providing visitors with an outdoor space to reflect on the enduring ideals of liberty, democracy, and equal rights while deepening their understanding of Louisiana's place in the American story.
