Revolution in Their Words Brings America’s Founding Voices into Focus 

The DAR Museum’s newest exhibition, Revolution in Their Words, marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States by examining the nation’s founding through the firsthand accounts of those who lived it. Drawing on the NSDAR’s extensive collection of artifacts and manuscripts, as well as loans from other museums, the exhibition presents a wide range of perspectives from the decades before, during, and after the War for Independence. 

 

At a time when the American colonies had the highest literacy rates in the world—approaching 90 percent in New England—ideas circulated widely through print. Nearly 150 newspapers were in publication, while pamphlets, broadsides, diaries, and letters conveyed political grievances and debated the best path forward for the American colonies. These materials document voices ranging from wealthy merchants to backcountry settlers, revealing the nuances of colonial dissatisfaction with British rule. 

 

The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections—words of diplomacy, words of the people, words of resistance, and words in print. Alongside prominent figures such as John Hancock, Revolution in Their Words foregrounds the experiences of ordinary individuals, including free and enslaved Black people, Native Americans, women from both the North and South, and soldiers serving on the front lines. 

 

Complementing the exhibition is Preserving Patriotism: The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy at DAR, on view in the Museum’s Study Gallery. Serving as a prelude to Revolution in Their Words, the display brings together signatures of all 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Never before exhibited in their entirety, these signatures are among the most prized documents in the Americana Collection of the National Society. Spanning six decades, from the 1750’s to the 1810’s, the autographs are found in letters, legal documents, and receipts, giving a glimpse into the daily life of the men who signed the Declaration. Collectively, they represent the NSDAR’s ongoing commitment to preserving and upholding the founding principles of our nation. It is especially fitting that they are all are on display for the first time to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.