Hemp played a remarkable role in the early history of America. It was grown widely across the colonies, and some of the nation's most famous founders — including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson — cultivated hemp on their own farms. The fibre was used for rope, sailcloth, clothing and paper, and at certain times farmers were even encouraged by law to grow it.

For generations, hemp was simply a normal and valued part of American agriculture. It clothed families, rigged ships and supplied the young nation with essential materials. This hall tells the story of hemp as a founding crop — woven quietly into the fabric of a country's earliest days.