"With Liberty and Justice for All" Opens January 16, 2006 at Henry Ford Museum

DEARBORN, Mich.--Dec. 1, 20053, 2005--Henry Ford Museum will add a new permanent exhibit exploring American Freedom. "With Liberty and Justice For All" - opening to the public on January 16, 2006, Martin Luther King's Birthday - takes a close look at the progression of civil liberties from the Revolutionary War to the impact of the Civil Rights Movement.

"The exhibit will be an intense and emotional trip through America's history, a history that included slavery and segregation," said Christian Overland, vice president of venue operations. "We will not gloss over the ugliness and the hate that freedom fighters faced. The artifacts that have been selected to tell these stories will show both the good and the bad as America transformed its definition of liberty."

The exhibit will be made possible in part by grants from the DTE Energy Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Institute for Museum and Library Services / National Park Service / "Save America's Treasures" National City Bank, Ford Motor Company Fund, DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund and contributors to the museum's recent capital campaign.

"The DTE Energy Foundation is very proud to fund this important addition to the Henry Ford Museum," said Fred Shell, vice president, corporate and governmental affairs, DTE Energy, and president of the DTE Energy Foundation. "This exhibit will remind us all that ordinary people can do extraordinary things, and when they do, the world can change for the better." The Foundation awarded $500,000 to the museum for the exhibit.

"With Liberty and Justice For All" will take visitors through four key turning points in America's history: the Independence movement and Revolutionary War, the antislavery movement and Civil War, the Woman's Suffrage Movement and the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit will show the struggle and fight for freedom, as well as the spirit and courage to maintain it. With the Declaration of Independence as a guide, visitors will learn about the initial conflicts and oppression related to each era and the momentum that led to change. The exhibit will introduce the leaders and their legacies and educate people on the impact of each transformation on the future Americans.

The focal point of the exhibit will be key iconic artifacts from the collection of The Henry Ford, including:

-- The Bus where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat which started the Montgomery Bus Boycott and sparked the Civil Rights Movement.

-- The Chair from Ford's Theater in which President Abraham Lincoln sat when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.

-- The Camp Bed George Washington used while on a victory tour of battlefields after the Revolutionary War.

-- The Speakers' Chair made by Thomas Affleck and used in Independence Hall by the first Congress of the United States.

Nearly 95 percent of the existing artifacts will be used in this exhibit that have never been displayed to the public. These artifacts include:

-- Military letters signed by George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

-- One of only three hand-written copies of the 13th amendment signed by President Abraham Lincoln, Vice President Hannibal Hamlin and 148 members of the 38th congress.

Museum curators also acquired several artifacts specifically for the "With Liberty and Justice For All" exhibit, including:

-- An enlistment notice from the Revolutionary War

-- Recruiting Broadsides (posters) from the Civil War

-- "Mr. President What Will You do for Women's Suffrage?" Flag

-- Materials from the 1963 march in Washington where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech.

The Henry Ford has hired Gallagher & Associates to create the exhibit. Gallagher & Associates is known for The International Spy Museum and exhibits at the Smithsonian and Gettysburg.

The Henry Ford, located in Dearborn, Michigan was founded in 1929 by automotive pioneer Henry Ford. This history destination includes Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre, The Benson Ford Research Center and The Ford Rouge Factory Tour. The Henry Ford, America's Greatest History Attraction, is the history destination that brings the American experience to life. For more information please visit our website www.thehenryford.org.

With Liberty and Justice for all, opening January 16, 2006 at the Henry Ford Museum explores the defining moments of American Freedom from the revolution through the civil rights movement.