These Truths: The Declarations of Independence

An exhibition catalog exploring the emergence of the Declaration of Independence during the revolutionary crisis of 1775–1776

These Truths explores the emergence of the Declaration of Independence during the revolutionary crisis of 1775–1776, and how the document was drafted, printed, shared, interpreted, and remembered through the mid-nineteenth century. Published on the occasion of the exhibition of the same title, taking place at the American Philosophical Society Museum in 2026, this exhibition catalog demonstrates how the Declaration served as an instrument of civic participation and democratic ideals and how the document became a national symbol. The book includes a fully illustrated object checklist, as well as three essays that expand on themes introduced and investigated in the exhibition, including diplomacy in Benjamin Franklin’s France, the history of the various printed versions of the Declaration, and Thomas Jefferson’s fair copies of the Declaration. A fitting exhibition and catalog to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary, These Truths challenges preconceived notions of the founding story and illuminates the relevance of the document’s first fifty years to American culture.