Throughout 2026, as Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of their independence, six massive, double-wide 18-wheeler mobile museums, known as Freedom trucks, are traveling across all 48 contiguous states. Funded by a federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the trucks are designed to highlight the key people, places, and events that led to American independence. On June 17, 2026, I had the opportunity to step inside one in Pullman, Washington.
The production is impressive. An AI-powered George Washington greets visitors at the entrance, guiding them through 250 years of American military and civic history. There are touch screens, quizzes, and a kiosk where you can digitally sign your name to the Declaration of Independence, along with a wall featuring 50 American heroes. For many visitors, it will be a thrilling experience.
But for those of us who study African American history and genealogy, something significant was missing.
The truck tells the story of the revolution as if it were accomplished solely by colonists fighting for their vision of freedom. The contributions of the estimated 9,000 Black men who served in the Continental Army and Navy, the tens of thousands who labored to sustain the war effort, and the freedom-seekers who navigated a war in which both sides dangled liberty as bait – none of this was woven into the narrative. There was a wall of photos of African Americans, but they were set apart, an afterthought rather than part of the story.
And there was the painting on the side of the truck.
You know it immediately: “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” The iconic image by the German-American artist Emanuel Leutze depicts General George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River with the Continental Army on the night of December 25-26, 1776 – the first of several moves that led to a surprise victory over the Hessian forces at the Battle of Trenton. It is among the most recognized images in American history.
Look closely at the boat. A Black man is near Washington. He is believed to be either William “Billy” Lee, Washington’s enslaved personal assistant, or Prince Whipple, an enslaved man who joined the revolutionary cause.
His name was not mentioned on or inside the truck.
William Lee was Washington’s personal valet, enslaved at Mount Vernon since 1768. He accompanied Washington throughout the Revolutionary War, surviving Monmouth, Yorktown, and the freezing winter at Valley Forge. Lee rarely left his enslaver’s side, following him into battle when necessary.
In addition to his personal duties, he served as a military aide – delivering messages, grooming Washington’s horses, keeping command tents stocked, and always remaining at the General’s side, ready to hand him a sword or field glasses at a moment’s notice.
Lee appears in multiple paintings of Washington – depicted as his enslaved valet, groom, and military aide. He was present at some of the most consequential moments in the founding of this nation. Yet on the side of the truck, he is barely visible – unnamed, uncredited, and unacknowledged.
Over the coming months, I will trace the lives of African Americans who were present at the founding, not on the margins but in the boats, on the battlefields, in the encampments, and in the founders’ households. I will explore their genealogies, names, and descendants. I will ask the questions The Freedom Truck did not: Who were these people? What did freedom mean to them? And why, 250 years later, are so many of their names still missing from the story?