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16<meta name="description" content="Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration shares the riveting story behind America’s most important founding document WASHINGTON, April 27, 2026 – The National Archives Museum debuted its new special exhibition in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration shares the story behind the Declaration of Independence:" />
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24<meta property="og:description" content="Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration shares the riveting story behind America’s most important founding document WASHINGTON, April 27, 2026 – The National Archives Museum debuted its new special exhibition in celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration shares the story behind the Declaration of Independence: how it came to be, how it has been protected for 250 years, and how the United States has celebrated its signing throughout history." />
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342  <h1>Free and Independent: Special Major Exhibition Opens as a “Celebration of the Declaration”</h1>
343  
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348
349<h3><em>Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration </em>shares the riveting story behind America’s most important founding document</h3>
350
351<p>WASHINGTON, April 27, 2026 – The National Archives Museum debuted its new special exhibition in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.</p>
352
353<p><a href="https://visit.archives.gov/whats-on/explore-exhibits/free-and-independent-celebration-declaration"><em>Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration</em></a>&nbsp;shares the story behind the Declaration of Independence: how it came to be, how 
353it has been protected for 250 years, and how the United States has celebrated its signing throughout history.</p>
354
355<p>The exhibition features 40 original artifacts from the National Archives collections and other lenders, including a 1763 Broadside of King George III’s “Instructions to the Governors of His Provinces in America,” the Lee Resolution that proposed declaring independence, and the 1776 Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence—one of the first printed versions of the Declaration distributed to the colonies.</p>
356
357<div class="nwidget nimage_caption img-wrap width45 pull-right" data-additional-classes="" data-alignment="" data-alt-tag="refer to caption" data-caption-body="Visitors to “Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration” begin exploring daily life in British America, getting to know some of the men who risked everything—including their lives—by signing the Declaration of Independence." data-caption-title="" data-downloadable-version="" data-enlarge="true" data-image="/files/free-and-independent-visitors-in-adoption-gallery-don-johnson.png" data-image_width="50" data-opa-record="" data-pdf-version=""><img alt="refer to caption" src="/files/free-and-independent-visitors-in-adoption-gallery-don-johnson.png" style="float: right;" />
358  <div class="img-tools"><a class="enlarge" href="/files/free-and-independent-visitors-in-adoption-gallery-don-johnson.png" title="">Enlarge</a></div>
359
360  <p>Visitors to <em>Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration</em>&nbsp;begin exploring daily life in British America, getting to know some of the men who risked everything—including their lives—by signing the Declaration of Independence.</p>
361</div>
362
363<p>Visitors begin by exploring the times of the 18th century to gain a better understanding of daily life in British America, learning more about some of the leaders who risked everything—including their lives—by signing the Declaration of Independence.</p>
364
365<p>Franck Cordes, Capital Campaign Project Director for the National Archives Foundation, said this new exhibition exemplifies the magnitude of the moment of signing the Declaration of Independence, and how the American spirit has grown.</p>
366
367<p>“Every July 4th, when we celebrate the Declaration of Independence, is a reminder of how we started as a nation,” Cordes said.&nbsp; “It also reminds us of how we have kept going as a nation, and how we have continually been inspired by the words of the Declaration—for this ongoing dialogue that we have—on what it means to be free and what it means to be American.”</p>
368
369<p>The exhibition then turns to more recent times to highlight the preservation of the Declaration of Independence, which arrived at the National Archives and Records Administration in 1952, to showcase a true “national treasure.” Unlike in the well-known film, there is no treasure map on the back of the Declaration; however, visitors will uncover how the document has been preserved over the years.&nbsp;</p>
370
371<p>Among the artifacts on display is a 600-pound working model of the original vault, where the Charters of Freedom were securely protected at night. Created by the Mosler Safe Company in 1952, the real vault in Washington, DC was made of concrete and steel, weighing more than 50 tons. However, this is no longer top-secret information: as part of a major renovation in 2001, a new vault with state-of-the-art technology was constructed and installed.</p>
372
373<div class="nwidget nlayout ncolumns row make-eq" data-columns="2x1_2">
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375    <div class="col-sm-6">
376      <div class="nwidget nimage_caption img-wrap width75" data-additional-classes="" data-alignment="" data-alt-tag="refer to caption" data-caption-body="The Mosler Model of the original vault for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, (1952)" data-caption-title="" data-downloadable-version="" data-enlarge="true" data-image="/files/free-and-independent-mosler-vault-model-1952-1.png" data-image_width="100" data-opa-record="" data-pdf-version=""><img alt="refer to caption" src="/files/free-and-independent-mosler-vault-model-1952-1.png" />
377        <div class="img-tools"><a class="enlarge" href="/files/free-and-independent-mosler-vault-model-1952-1.png" title="">
377Enlarge</a></div>
378
379        <p>The Mosler Model of the original vault for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, (1952)</p>
380      </div>
381    </div>
382  </center>
383
384  <div class="col-sm-6">
385    <center>
386      <div class="nwidget nimage_caption img-wrap width75" data-additional-classes="" data-alignment="" data-alt-tag="refer to caption" data-caption-body="Visitors look up close at the Mosler Model of the original vault for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC." data-caption-title="" data-downloadable-version="" data-enlarge="true" data-image="/files/free-and-independent-visitors-mosler-model-don-johnson.png" data-image_width="100" data-opa-record="" data-pdf-version=""><img alt="refer to caption" src="/files/free-and-independent-visitors-mosler-model-don-johnson.png" />
387        <div class="img-tools"><a class="enlarge" href="/files/free-and-independent-visitors-mosler-model-don-johnson.png" title="">Enlarge</a></div>
388
389        <p>Visitors look up close at the Mosler Model of the original vault for the Charters of Freedom at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC.</p>
390      </div>
391    </center>
392  </div>
393</div>
394
395<p>“This exhibit is a celebratory exhibit,” Cordes said. “It’s a celebration of our founding and a celebration of the country. The exhibit is really an overview of how we got to the day that it was decided to sign the Declaration, and from then on, how the Declaration went on to be a national treasure—and how we keep it and protect it as a national treasure.”</p>
396
397<p>The exhibition concludes by featuring walls and cases filled with memorabilia from past Independence Day celebrations—including nationwide 1976 Bicentennial Celebrations—to spotlight the Declaration’s cultural impacts over time through media, visual arts, and music.&nbsp;</p>
398
399<center>
400  <div class="nwidget nimage_caption img-wrap width45" data-additional-classes="" data-alignment="" data-alt-tag="refer to caption" data-caption-body="Flags hanging from the ceiling mark the beginning of the celebration within the new temporary exhibit “Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration.”" data-caption-title="" data-downloadable-version="" data-enlarge="true" data-image="/files/free-and-independent-visitors-in-celebration-gallery-don-johnson.png" data-image_width="50" data-opa-record="" data-pdf-version=""><img alt="refer to caption" src="/files/free-and-independent-visitors-in-celebration-gallery-don-johnson.png" />
401    <div class="img-tools"><a class="enlarge" href="/files/free-and-independent-visitors-in-celebration-gallery-don-johnson.png" title="">Enlarge</a></div>
402
403    <p>Flags hanging from the ceiling mark the beginning of the celebration within the new temporary exhibit “Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration.”</p>
404  </div>
405</center>
406
407<p>Patrick Madden, Chief Executive Officer for the National Archives Foundation, said this exhibition is filled with Americana at the perfect time to celebrate our nation.</p>
408
409<p>“The culmination of what’s here will unlock for our visitors the very beginnings of our country,” Madden said. “The exhibit takes you through that moment, and then reveals how the American public celebrated. And now we get our chance to add to that celebration with the 250th.”</p>
410
411<p>This special exhibition will run through July 5th, 2027, and is free and open to the public. Advance tickets can be reserved online at <a href="https://visit.archives.gov/visit">visit.archives.gov</a>.</p>
412
413<p><em>Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration</em> is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of The Boeing Company, Comcast Corporation, Microsoft, and P&amp;G. Additional support provided by Ancestry, John Hancock, and C&amp;G Partners.</p>
414
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425        <p><p>The new temporary exhibit at the National Archives Museum "Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration."&nbsp;<em>Photo courtesy of the National Archives Foundation</em></p>
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432        <p><p>The new temporary exhibit at the National Archives Museum "Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration"</p>
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439        <p><p>The new temporary exhibit at the National Archives Museum "Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration."&nbsp;<em>Photo courtesy of the National Archives Foundation</em></p>
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446        <p><p>The new temporary exhibit at the National Archives Museum "Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration"</p>
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453        <p><p>The new temporary exhibit at the National Archives Museum "Free and Independent: A Celebration of the Declaration."&nbsp;<em>Photo courtesy of the National Archives Foundation</em></p>
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