Among the artifacts in a time capsule that will be dug up 250 years from now is a coin representing Gov. Ron DeSantis and a notecard from the Florida speaker of the House.<\/p>\n
To commemorate America\u2019s 250th birthday, a national nonpartisan organization called America250 asked each state<\/a> and American territory for items that \u201creflect the people, places, ideas, and innovations shaping the United States at 250 years.\u201d<\/p>\n The capsule, a 900-pound cylinder built by a team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, was sealed earlier this month. On July 4, it will be placed 10 feet underground in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n Knowing that the capsule would not resurface from the earth until 2276, some states came up with elaborate ideas to reflect life today.<\/p>\n Arizonaused nanotechnology to inscribe the full text of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution on a challenge coin. California, home to Silicon Valley, included predictions for the future written by artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n Maine offered future generations a potential glimpse of history: a North Atlantic right whale bone, which is one of the world\u2019s most endangered whale species.<\/p>\n Not just anything was allowed in the capsule. Experts from the Library of Congress reviewed submissions to determine if they could be included in the vessel without compromising the protection of other artifacts. For example, Old Bay seasoning from Maryland was rejected, according<\/a> to the Associated Press.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Florida contributed, as listed on the America250 website:<\/p>\n Four challenge coins \u2014 which aredecorative tokens that bear an insignia \u2014 representing various Florida state departments and leaders: Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida attorney general, the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.<\/p>\n A note penned to future generations by the speaker of the House, Daniel Perez. A pin from the state House of Representatives is attached.<\/p>\n A 2024-2026 session booklet from the Florida Senate.<\/p>\n A booklet from America250FL, which is the group in charge of Florida\u2019s semiquincentennial celebrations.<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s semiquincentennial commission, which is tasked with advising the state on how to celebrate Florida\u2019s role in American history, is led by Secretary of State Cord Byrd and four commissioners appointed by DeSantis.<\/p>\n Of the four, state Rep. Patt Maney from Okaloosa County is the only elected official. The other three are civilians with expertise in early American history:<\/p>\n Matthew Spalding, an academic consultant for the White House Task Force on Celebrating America\u2019s 250th Birthday; Lucas Morel, who serves on the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission; and Jacqueline Gay Gaines, former regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies\u2019 Association, an organization dedicated to preserving George Washington\u2019s estate and legacy.<\/p>\n