Declarations of Independence

Opening June 13, 2026
Will be on view in the Ruth P. and Joseph R. Lasser Gallery

This exhibition is made possible through the generosity of James Boswell and Christopher Caracci.

The Declaration of Independence today is as much a symbol of America as the Statue of Liberty, bald eagle, and American flag. People recognize phrases such as “all men are created equal,” and “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” When this document was drafted 250 years ago, it was to some a radical, necessary step toward independence; to others, it was an act of treason. But once adopted on July 4, 1776, how were the colonies and the world to know about it?

In an age with no social media and no TV, the word spread surprisingly quickly. By July 5 printed broadsides were made and distributed to the colonies. Newspapers picked up the story. In Williamsburg, Virginians could read the entire text in the July 20 issue. On July 25, “the Declaration of Independence of the United Colonies was proclaimed here [Williamsburg], and received with universal applause, under a discharge of cannon, firing of small arms, illuminations in the evening, etc.” The word was out. The Declaration continued to be printed as broadsides and in papers across the country and the world over the next several months.

As the United States approached its 50th anniversary, there was a resurgence of interest in the document. Printers such as John Binns, Benjamin Tyler, and Eleazar Huntington created their versions of the original document to market to the public. None of these were an exact facsimile of the original, handwritten version. That task was delegated to William J. Stone. It took three years to engrave the copperplate, which the State Department purchased and had 200 parchment versions printed. It is this document that most people are familiar with today.

The exhibition will feature one of the original Stone parchment printings, one of only about 50 in existence. Also on view will be the original July 20, 1776, issue of the Virginia Gazette printed in Williamsburg as well as the 19th-century printings by Tyler, Binns, and Huntington.