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The Declaration’s Promise: A Revolutionary Idea

Library of Congress collections trace the Declaration of Independence's ideals, contradictions, and continuing influence on American struggles for equality, liberty, and self-government.

EXHIBITS

The Declaration’s Promise: A Revolutionary Idea

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Words can change the world. On July 4, 1776, the members of the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence. The document laid out their case for separation from Great Britain and asserted the natural rights of the American people, accorded to them by their Creator, against a king who pursued “absolute Tyranny over these States.” The Declaration’s 1,337 words bound thirteen disparate colonies into a nation.

The Declaration’s principles became the shared vision of a new democratic way of government. Its ideals of equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness place human dignity and the rights of the individual at the forefront of our national consciousness. In its language, Americans have heard a call to rally for independence and self-government, to right longstanding injustices, and more. This exhibition shares collections from the Library of Congress that demonstrate Americans’ engagement with the Declaration. The scope of that engagement reflects the richness and complexity of the American experience.

We invite you to examine the ideas behind the Declaration and how Americans have taken its words for their own. What inspiration will you take? How will the Declaration shape the next two hundred and fifty years?

The Library of Congress gratefully acknowledges the generous support of David M. Rubenstein.

The David M. Rubenstein Treasures Gallery is dedicated to sharing the rarest, most interesting, or significant items created across the globe and drawn from every corner of the world’s largest library.

This exhibit is made possible through the generous support of: