EXCLUSIVE: Beneath a towering 23-foot bronze figure holding the Declaration of Independence aloft, designer Matthew Taylor stopped beside an equestrian statue that many Americans have likely never seen, or even heard of."Most Americans have never heard of Caesar Rodney," Taylor told Fox News Digital during an exclusive tour of the new Spirit of '76 exhibition at Freedom Plaza."But we owe this man an enormous debt of gratitude."The temporary installation, unveiled as part of America's 250th anniversary celebration, transforms Freedom Plaza into an open-air gallery honoring Revolutionary War figures whose names rarely appear in history textbooks.Commissioned by President Donald Trump, the exhibition features 22 statues and sculptural installations, including a restored equestrian monument of Rodney, a towering "Spirit of Liberty" centerpiece, bronze figures representing Revolutionary soldiers, and an immersive memorial honoring Americans who died aboard British prison ships during the Revolution.EXPERTS FINALLY SOLVE MYSTERY OF TEENAGE REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIER 246 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATHMatthew Taylor stands beneath the Caesar Rodney statue with members of the fabrication team during the opening of the Spirit of '76 exhibition at Freedom Plaza.
(Dan Fleuette)According to the National Park Service, the exhibit was created to honor the "heroes and martyrs of the Revolution" during America's semiquincentennial and is intended to celebrate the enduring "Spirit of '76' that continues to live on in every American heart." The centerpiece installations include the Caesar Rodney equestrian statue, the "12 Soldiers of the Revolution," the Prison Ship Martyrs memorial and the 23-foot Spirit of Liberty statue.ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG AT BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL SITE UNCOVERS REVOLUTIONARY WAR ARTIFACTSThe restored Caesar Rodney equestrian statue stands at Freedom Plaza during the opening of the Spirit of '76 exhibition in Washington, D.C.(Dan Fleuette)Rather than beginning with George W...