Philadelphia's yet-to-be-built Museum of the American Revolution has received a $10 million grant from the Oneida Nation.
The grant was given in response to a $40 million challenge grant from H.L. Lenfest, chairman of the American Revolution Center, the museum's non-profit founding organization.
The $150 million dollar building designed by Robert A.M. Stern will rise in Philadelphia's historic district at 3rd and Chestnut Streets. It will house original artifacts like George Washington's war tent as well as manuscripts, rare books and works of art. The collection was begun in the early 1900s by the Valley Forge Historical Society, predecessor to the Revolution Center, and is now in storage awaiting the museum's opening in 2015.
The gift is made in part to recognize the little known, but extraordinary role the Oneidas played in the Revolutionary War, says Oneida Nation Representative Ray Halbritter.
The Oneidas were America's "first ally" in the Revolutionary War and fought in support of the colonists, endured many hardships and lost lives during America"s War for Independence—a history the Oneida people now want to share with visitors to the museum.
"Our commitment to the American Revolution Center furthers that friendship and ensures that the resilience displayed together by America's founding fathers and the Oneida people continue to serve as inspiration to everyone who wishes to understand the shared history of the Oneida Nation and America," he said.
