New exhibit at American Revolution Museum in Yorktown showcases rare 1833 Declaration of Independence copy

A new exhibit at the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown opens Wednesday, featuring a rare 1833 copy of the Declaration of Independence.

The exhibit, titled in part "Give Me Liberty," includes a multimedia display featuring Patrick Henry's famous speech in which he uttered "Give me liberty or give me death." The centerpiece, however, is the 1833 printed copy of the Declaration of Independence.

Sarah Meschutt, senior curator at the American Revolution Museum, says the document's survival is amazing, "A miracle, probably, it was probably preserved by somebody who recognized how important this printed version is. And this is in pristine condition," Meschutt said.

Keeping it that way requires special care, "We have to have environmental control of the gallery where it's displayed. And that involves microclimates....a machine that regulates the humidity and the temperature of a given object within a given space," Meschutt said.

The exhibit goes beyond the Declaration itself, exploring the events leading up to the Revolutionary War — including the role of Native Americans.

Travis Henline, curator of Indigenous history and culture, says this is often overlooked.

"One of the things I like to emphasize is that the American Revolution was an Indian war throughout, in addition to a war for independence." I asked why—and his response? "It was a war for Western expansion. So there are a lot of these gentlemen here in Virginia and other colonies who are involved in land companies they want access to the West," Henline said.

While Great Britain sought to avoid costly conflicts with Native nations, the colonists did not share that concern.

"And so they're very anxious to have access to that and one of the impetuses for our American Revolution is gaining access to the West. However, that land is still controlled by native nations. And so in 1774 they launch a war against those nations to essentially take those by force. Now this is a preview of what will come to the indigenous nations in the West a few years later at the outset of the American Revolution," Henline said.

The exhibit also highlights the contributions of African Americans during the Revolutionary era. Harvey Bakari, curator of Black history and culture, says it's important this is recognized. "When this country was formed, it was a racially integrated group of men who were fighting on the battlefield with George Washington," Bakari said.

The exhibit also includes displays focused on modern-day struggles for civil rights, reflecting the spirit of the Declaration of Independence. Bakari said the goal is to inspire visitors to think beyond the history on display.

"So it's meant to be a call to action, not just come to see an exhibit, but also think to yourself, what can I do? Many of these people in the revolutionary time period, they were young people. So what can a young person do?" Bakari said.

The 1833 copy of the Declaration of Independence will be available to view beginning Wednesday, July 1. The exhibit is not a permanent display and will only be on view through January 2027 at the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown.

For more information about the exhibits at the American Revolution Museum, click here:

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