NYPL Opens Major Free Exhibition Unpacking the Complex, Diverse, and Powerful Stories of the American Revolution—from 1776 to Today

Image by NYPL

Additionally, the Library is releasing the next batch of free, timed tickets TODAY at 10 a.m. for July 1–7 public viewing of the Declaration of Independence. 

The New York Public Library today opened Declaring America: 1776 and Beyond, a new free exhibition unpacking the complex, diverse, and powerful stories of the American Revolution from 1776 to today. This major exhibition, which takes over multiple galleries within our flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, draws from the Library’s vast collections, cementing its status as one of the world’s premier repositories of American history.

Additionally, at 10 a.m. today, the Library is releasing a second batch of timed tickets for a rare—and free—public viewing of Thomas Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence from July 1–7. Tickets are expected to go fast—the first wave of tickets, released on June 1, sold out within four hours. 

Declaring America focuses on New York City’s unique role as a literal and intellectual battleground in the riveting first months of the American Revolution, traces the central role of protest throughout American history, and showcases contemporary artworks that grapple with enduring questions tied to the nation’s democratic ideals.

Declaring America includes approximately 250 items from the Library’s collections, including: 

• Benjamin Franklin’s letter to George Washington reporting that a “Declaration of Independence is preparing,” sent on June 21, 1776;
• A rare broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed by John Holt in New York City on July 9, 1776, marking the historic moment. New York became the 13th and final colony to approve the measure; 
• U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith’s erasure poem “Declaration,” which engages with the power and paradoxes of the founding document and its author Thomas Jefferson;
• Colorful battle maps of New York during the Revolutionary War detailing soldier positions and colonial street names like “King Street” which was later renamed “Pine Street;”
• A rare silk banner used by anti-slavery activists in New York City to celebrate the abolition of slavery in Great Britain in 1834;
• Iconic posters, buttons, and other materials made by pioneering HIV/AIDS activists that draw from the Library’s rich LGBTQ+ collections;
• A “Civil Rights Now!” pennant from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom;
• Contemporary artworks by noteworthy artists and performers such as Kyle Abraham, David Hammons, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Kiki Smith, Kara Walker, and more.

“To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States, The New York Public Library is opening its archives and displaying some of our nation’s rarest and most remarkable treasures,” said Anthony W. Marx, President and CEO of The New York Public Library. “The Library stands as an enduring place for democratic access and life-long learning. Please join us in learning about our nation’s past, reflecting on our present, and contemplating our future as we mark the nation’s 250th Day of Independence together.”

“Declaring America: 1776 and Beyond honors an important part of the Library’s mission: to preserve and make accessible the country’s history, in all of its nuance and complexity, and to create space for people to reflect, debate, and learn,” said Julie Golia, the Linda May Uris Director of the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library. “Exploring hundreds of collection items spanning three centuries, we ask our visitors to consider how generations of Americans have interpreted and imagined the promises and paradoxes of the Declaration of Independence. We also invite people to make their own declarations in We the People, the Library’s new storytelling project.”

The exhibition and rare Declaration of Independence viewing are part of a larger, system-wide commemoration marking the U.S. semiquincentennial titled “250 Years: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

This initiative includes:

• We the People: Reflections on America’s 250th, a storytelling project inviting the public to share their reflections at this landmark moment in the nation’s history. Stories from this project will be added to the Library’s permanent collections and will serve as a historical record that future scholars can use to better understand our current moment. Contributions can be made in person at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, at select NYPL branches, and online. 
• A free, limited-edition NYPL library card inspired by the Library’s copy of the Declaration of Independence available in any of our 92 locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island or by applying online. 
• Reading America: 250 Years, 250 Books, a list of notable books for all ages that illuminate the American experience from a variety of perspectives. Free instant access to select titles as e-books or audiobooks is available through July 31. A selection of Reading America titles will also be available for browsing in the Wachenheim gallery at the Schwarzman Building. 
• Liberty Lager, produced by local brewer TALEA Beer Co. and inspired by George Washington’s 1757 recipe for small beer, is available for sale in bars and restaurants around the city.
• Starting today, a first edition of the sheet music of The Star-Spangled Banner will be on display at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts through August 31. The Library’s copy is one of eleven known extant copies and is discernible from subsequent editions by a typographical error in which “Patriotic” is misspelled as “Pariotic” in the subtitle. Originally written as a poem by Francis Scott Key in 1814, it was later adapted as lyrics for America’s national anthem in 1931. The display will be accompanied by a selection of 250 LPs related to American history.

“250 Years: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” is made possible by the generosity of the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, formerly Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

Support for The New York Public Library’s Exhibitions Program has been provided by Celeste Bartos, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos Exhibitions Fund, Jonathan Altman, and Miriam and Ira D. Wallach.

Additional support is provided by The Edward & Sandra Meyer Foundation and Iron Mountain.

These programs and initiatives are part of the Library’s overall commitment to our branch patrons and education programs, led by the Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education. Major support for educational programming is provided by Merryl H. and James S. Tisch.

About The New York Public Library

For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/give. 

About the Andrew Carnegie Foundation
The Andrew Carnegie Foundation was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace. Learn more at www.carnegie.org.