Seeds of Greatness

Sponsored by the Charlton Heston Endowment

Look closely and you can almost hear Patrick Henry, George Mason, James Madison and Richard Henry Lee eloquently expressing their take on what we know today as the Second Amendment. This gallery traces the original resolution down to the final as-decreed version:

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

You'll also learn about the establishment of the national arsenals and armories, arming the militia and "The Legacy of Lafayette: The First U.S. Pattern Arms."

Significant Firearms in Gallery 4:

• Virginia Manufactory of Arms Flintlock Rifle One of only 1,700 made
• Early Muskets & Pistols From the armories of Springfield, Mass. and Harpers Ferry, Va.