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Patriot Chest Presentations by our Living History Team

Learning history through lecture and books can be boring. But seeing artifacts from history, handling them and being told about them by a costumed interpreter can make history come alive. Our Patriot Chest has numerous items that our living history team can show, describe and demonstrate to school groups, patriotic organizations, civic organizations, scouting groups or any other group that is interested in learning about life during the American Revolution.

Children’s materials: a slate, chalk, primer, and two toys. Children and wives often accompanied soldiers as “camp followers.”
Child-sized Revolutionary era boy’s and girl’s clothing that children can try on.
The Gadsden flag, used by Continental Marines during the American Revolution.
The Grand Union Flag, used by Gen. Washington on Prospect Hill, January 1776.
Household goods including a washboard, plate, mug, candle mold, sewing kit, lantern and scouring brush.
Bullet mold and folding ladle for making musket balls.
One of our living history interpreters in the full field uniform of a Vermont Green Mountain Boy.
Some Americans wore red uniforms too! This is the uniform of a fifer from Pennsylvania, complete with tin fife case, wooden fife and musician’s sword.
Campfire and cooking setup

One of the goals of our society is to educate the public about the Revolutionary War. We have members who can come dressed as and portray different period personalities from civilians to militia to Continental Army soldiers and officers. We are located throughout the state of Minnesota, primarily in the major metropolitan areas of the Twin Cities, Rochester and Duluth. But we are also willing to travel to out-state areas to do Patriot Chest presentations. We can tailor the content of a presentation and what items we show from the chest to the wants and needs of your organization. We can talk about subjects ranging from the daily life of a soldier to demonstrations of field music to the meaning of the different uniform colors and insignia to advanced topics such as the colonial attitude towards slavery and the philosophy of John Locke which is behind the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Let us know what you want us to present and how long you want it to take and we can accommodate you.

If you are an organization that allows it, and can provide us a presentation venue where it is legal and safe, we can also bring Revolutionary War weapons including muskets, bayonets, tomahawks and swords. Several of our members are trained in the Revolutionary War manual of arms designed by General von Steuben and taught to the Continental Army at Valley Forge. Again, in a venue where it is safe and legal, we can also demonstrate the loading and firing of a musket as illustrated below.

Musket Demonstration

If you would like further information about the living history team and the Patriot Chest, or would like to schedule a presentation, please contact the team leader.