Importing Independence at Union Bank: Museum Anniversary Celebration

On the anniversary of the Union Bank opening as a museum 42 years ago and 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, guests will learn a surprising connection between the Bank, British made ceramics, and the marketing of American ideals of independence and liberty. Following the American Revolution and the War of 1812, British potters capitalized on the expanding American market by printing specific landscapes and patriotic imagery onto ceramics — including Revolutionary War figures, national moments, and civic icons. From 1821, British transferware flooded Florida’s market as people moved to the new territory. As cotton was exported directly to British textile mills, shipments of British manufactured goods, including ceramics returned.