Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement depicts the July 4, 1788 Philadelphia procession celebrating the ratification of the new Constitution. Francis Hopkinson describes one group of participants as “…the clergy of different Christian denominations, with the Rabbi of the Jews walking arm in arm.” These men are viewed by Reverend Richard Allen, the future founder of the AME Church, as he stands just inside the covered High Street market. Neither women nor African American men were allowed to march in the procession. Although this interaction is not an historical fact, the walking clergymen and the presence of African Americans watching the parade from the sidewalks is documented by historians. The symbolism of the scene illustrates the institutional disenfranchisement of entire segments of the population within the newly created rights and protections of the country.

This is one of two murals at this site commemorating the 1787-88 Constitution.

Location Note: This mural is located inside the Independence Visitors Center and may not always be available for public viewing.