VOLUME 17, ISSUE 3

JANUARY 2023

We the People Team Travels to Philadelphia

By Reese Wu

The Maggie Walker We the People team recently took a trip to Philadelphia, where they visited museums like the Museum of the American Revolution and the National Constitution Center, as well as historical landmarks like Independence Hall. The members of the team were given the opportunity to enrich their knowledge about the Constitution by visiting the very location where it was debated, drafted, and signed. However, for the students, this trip was also an opportunity to explore the restaurants, stores, and culture of Philadelphia. 

Team member Alexia Creeden (‘23) said, “My favorite part of the trip was probably seeing the Rising Sun chair. This chair was the seat that George Washington had at the Constitutional Convention, and on the back of it there is an image of a ‘rising sun.’”According to legend, Benjamin Franklin confided after the Constitutional Convention that he wasn’t sure if the sun was rising or setting, but after the Constitution had been drafted, he concluded that it was in fact rising. Creeden added, “Not only am I a sucker for a feel-good story about the Constitutional Convention, but this also plays into the art world and how a small design can make such a big impact on how the viewer sees work.” For Audrey Paulson (‘23), visiting the National Constitution Center was the most significant part of the trip. “Not only was I able to visit the place that produces the podcasts I love to listen to, but my visit to the National Constitution Center expanded my knowledge of both the amendments and evolution of our Constitution,” she mentioned. 

The We the People team, which studies the Constitution and Bill of Rights in depth to understand their history and influence on the government, visited many iconic constitutional landmarks such as Independence Hall, where the original document was created and signed. As for the other museum they visited related to the Constitution, Paulson said, “The National Constitution Center’s exhibit on each of the Constitution's amendments helped me better understand the origins and contemporary applications of each of the 27 Amendments to the Constitution.” Creeden, as a member of Unit 2, whose focus is on the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, said, “A trip to both Independence Hall, the place where the convention took place, and the Museum of the American Revolution was extremely relevant to my unit's focus in class.” Each museum had something new to offer and helped put the topics that the team had been studying into context. 

While the We the People team did a lot of learning in Philadelphia, the trip was not purely an educational pursuit. Paulson said, “Attending the Philadelphia trip brought me closer to my teammates.” Creeden agreed, saying, “I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to have some really in-depth conversations with some of the other members of the We the People team. It was really interesting to get to know everybody outside of who they are at school.”