New exhibit at the Museum of the American Revolution explores 'The Declaration's Journey'

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- As America celebrates its 250th birthday this summer, there's a new landmark exhibition at the Museum of the American Revolution that shows how the Declaration of Independence has been used in the struggle for equal rights here in the U.S. and around the globe.

The exhibition is called "The Declaration's Journey."

"An exhibit about the 250-year global impact of the Declaration of Independence," said Matthew Skic, Exhibitions & Collections Director, Museum of the American Revolution.

It opens with Thomas Jefferson's chair sitting next to a bench used by Martin Luther King in his Birmingham jail prison cell.

"And in that prison cell, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote Letter from Birmingham Jail, one of his most famous written works," said Skic.

The two men are separated by nearly two centuries, but they're linked by the Declaration of Independence.

You can also see one of the original Dunlap copies of the Declaration, sent across the Atlantic by a Jewish merchant in 1776.

"But his mailing was intercepted, and it's on display in Philadelphia for the first time since July of 1776," said Skic.

There's a poster-sized printing done in Baltimore by Mary Katherine Goddard.

"This is the first time that the names of the signers are shared with the public. And Mary Katherine Goddard, her name joins the signer as the printer at the very bottom of the declaration," said Skic. "So that's the first time a woman's name appears on a printing of the Declaration of Independence."

There are 120 documents, objects, and works of art in all, including an early version of the Pride flag signed by the designer.

The exhibit challenges visitors to reflect.

"Does a revolution need a declaration? Was the Declaration of Independence written for the United States, or was it written for the world?" asks Skic. "Over 100 nations since 1776 have issued a Declaration of Independence. Other nations have also come to Philadelphia to declare their independence."

The United Nations borrowed from the document when issuing its Declaration of Human Rights.

"The American Revolution, and specifically the Declaration of Independence, is a very important global event - one of the most important events in the history of the world," said SKic.

The Declaration's Journey is on view at the Museum of the American Revolution through January 3, 2027.

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Museum of the American Revolution
101 S. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19106