New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-16
A MUSEUM OF HISTORY.
ILLUSTRATING THE DISCOVERY AND SET
ELEMENT OF AMERICA.
a PROPOSED FEATURE OF THE WORLDS FAIR
AT cHcAGo-A PERMANENT EXHIBITION
OF OBJECTS RELATING TO EARLY
AMERICAN HISTORY.


soope OF The approaching Worlds Fair by getting 10
cetber an exhibit or series OF exhibits, which shall
form an objective display Of the whole subject OF the
discovery and colonization of North America in It's
various stages the Morse discovery in the year
1000 10 the consolidation Of the Nation in 1116 THIS
exhibit would be formed in such manner that the
greater part the objects comprised in it. or repro
auctions Of them, be retained I'm this city, together
With the buildings in which they VIII be contained 80
rs TO form the nucleus of permanent Museum oi
History, afordng to Americans true and realizing
sense Of the origin Of this Nation in more obJccuNe
form than has before been attempted
The plan is brought forward by Mr.. and Mrs. John
B. Shipey who are well known for their researches
into Morse and early American history. we nave
they say given long and earnest study TO these sub
jects and have formed definite plan for the carrying
out Of this proposition for which purpose we should
desire to obtain official exhibits: % From
the various colonies, now States Of the tnlon'
and their historical societies together with the abu
dant aid that can be furnished By private Collectors
81 from the especial mother country fr)E which each
Of these colonies spEnS, illustrating the life IN tldt
country at the timeSwlcn each colony was founded
This would elicit in every instance exceedingly
fine native as well foreign display, for II would
be the highest pride Of both own and foreign
States to reveal the treasures of their past"
The principal colonzaCns tC be illustrated would
be:
On The Morse colonization from A. d. 1000 TO
1874 as far as many be of the brilliant Viking age
of the Scandinavian North. the whole exhibit to be
contained in noble and spacious Viking hall, mod
eed upon the anciedt banQuetting halls
pf Iceland and filed with relics from the
Viking period preserved at Stockholm ChriStiaIia
and Copenhagen as we'll in Iceland,
with the Sagas and other ancient records describing
the discovery and early settlement of Ninland. IL
should be especially noted, salient feature OF the
plan, that in many especially in those OF the
more bulky more valuable objects, which could
not themselves be brought the Exposition. repro
ductions would be made by native artists accustomed
to the work. and these, along with the Viking hall
itself, would remain here permanent museum OF
the colonial history OF the country, and an orna
the Lake Front OF Chicago.
CD The discovery and subsequent colonization OF
Newfoundland and the adjacent lands by John and
Sebastian Cabot and the English from Bristol, a. D.
1407-1503.
90 The various voyages undertaken during the
reign OF Elizabeth Q35SIGO3 for the purpose of col
onzing Virginia, Newfoundland and other parts Of
America.
a. The early Dutch settlements in New-York CNew.
Amsterdam.
(5l The colonization of Pennsylvania, first by the
Swedes. and afterward by william Penn.
90 The Pilgrim Fathers Of New gland.
ca The Spanish settlements in Florida.
90 The French settlements in Canada and along the
Mississippi.
This exhibit would also be in part display of the
history of repubcanism for at the time of the Morse
colonization of America Iceland was republic, al
the height Of political and intellectual power, while
the settlers of Greenland and Vinland also adopted
republican institutions. The decay of these colonies
did not until after they had passed along with
Iceland. under the sway of the Norwegian crown
The English colonies planted at brilliant period
Of English history, which can I've Illustrated by mlos
Ing displays frcm the Elz2bethan and stuart periods
tie Commonwealth etc, during which popular rights
asserted themselves superior to dcspouc authority
The Dutch had achieved their independence from span
ish oppression and had made themselves the most
formidable rival of England the seas, when they
founded Amsterdam, now Ncw-Yorl; and this
effort in the Ncw World was an expression OF mat
necessity for expansion that springs from the vigorous
spirit of republicanism The swedish colony on The
Delaware the cherished project OF ire great S"ed
ish King Gustavus Adophus during the period OF
Swedens greatness; and monarch as he was, he de-
signed it to be- all essential respects republic ana
refuge for the oppressed Of every land The museums
of sweden are particularly rich in relics from TINS
period.
The educational advantages of such exhibition
saws Mrs Shpley. scarcely be exaggerated
these advantages would be entirely lost If these olcr
emf portions were scattered through the exhibits OF
the various countries concerned. II is the steady
progress of the early development Of knowledge hrst
concerning this country and then OF clvllzauoh on
this continent that is intended 10 be shown ioslh DS
this exhibit way that has never been done on any
previous occasion.
"Bv a rare combination Of events. all Of the early
American colonies, simple and primitive as was tAeir
origin. stood forth from a background OF European
splendor. their effort for freedom having been
the fruit Of earlier and greater struggle for freedom
i'm the World. Back Of Nnland wi> the golden aye
OF the scandinavian North, during which Iceland and
Normandy were settled by the Morse race back OF
Virginia was the Elzabeihan age back OF pennsylvania
and Delaware, first named New sweden, the period
of Swedcns greatness Power when the I'M
r,o,tal Gustaf Adolf fought on the battlcdelds Of
&
it, not only for the scandinavian North but Tor ire
world: back Of New York. the same gi.rcu' struggle
on the part OF the Netherlands against IRE same
spiritual despOt welding temporal power a stfugsIe N
which the Dutch were Victorious or tl'N c1uu ho'
have settled New York; back of New England Inc
triumphant resistance Of old England III the sell
same contest one that had cOnvUi-'d Europe Tor
many decades Each of the thirteen American colonies
WAS Ike a paean of triumph, and spiang INTO lie
from the very exuberance Of the moral vitality ana
genius of tie mother land that usheIed II mo being
Tho earliest Europeans whose settlement on our
shores is a matter of a.thontc history were Tie Morse
man principally from Iceland, who settled In Green
land and on the New England coast. Few. If any re-
mains exist on this continent to attest thcr presence
here: but many traces of them have been fouAu III
Greenland and the old ceandic records are more re
liable than much tnat passes Tor history IN other lands
In Norway. sweden and Denmark. as well as IN Ice
land there are rich stores of relics of every kind from
which the manner of lie of the old Mortimer can be
fully illustrated.
To contain this fine exhibit should have a per
fect reproductOn Of an old Viking hall, SplehuldIy
carved and ornamened hung with shields, weapons
hangngs and other ornaments OF the period ana hlicu
with fine display OF all the useful and artistic pro
auctions OF that remote. yet cultured age.
-Many able historians that it was the kncwl
edge obtained through the Icelanders Of the existence
OF Western lands that first gave Columbus and Cdoos
the idea Of discovery in that direction Many voyaf
had already been undertaken by mariners from bristol!
England in search Of these countries before columbus
made his successful voyage in 1892 and in li"''
xeor hefore Columbus saw the mainland of south
America John and sebastian Cabot discovered New
foundIand and coased along Labrador, thus opening
up the great northern trade route to AMERICA a, dis
fInct from the more southern TO the west InulS
and south America We intend that this part Ci ~
-. L. f.II.. Id