Announcing the 'Declaring independence: USA 250' display
Key information
Publication: 25 June 2026
Free display
Declaring independence: USA 250
30 June – 29 November 2026
Room 3
Email: [email protected]
A new display at the British Museum will mark 250 years since the pivotal moment in history when the Thirteen Colonies declared independence from Britain, on 4 July 1776, forming the United States of America.
Declaring independence: USA 250 will bring together four objects with interconnected histories around the American Revolutionary War. These diplomatic gifts shaped alliances and cross-cultural relations between the three main powers involved in the conflict – the Revolutionaries, Great Britain and Indigenous North American Nations.
Three objects from the British Museum collection will be presented alongside a ceremonial copy of the Declaration of Independence, on loan from West Sussex Record Office, arriving halfway through the display's run.
The Sussex Declaration is a handwritten copy produced on sheepskin parchment. It is the only handwritten ceremonial copy to exist alongside the original manuscript – the Matlack Declaration – held at the National Archives in Washington DC.
At the core of the display will be the Washington Peace Medal, an object that passed through the hands of all three parties involved in the war.
Engraved by Paul Revere in 1777, the medal was a gift from the Revolutionaries to the Wabanaki Confederacy to mark a Treaty of Friendship. It was later confiscated by the British as part of an enforced treaty and given to King George III. It was donated by King George IV to the British Museum in 1825.
One side features a portrait of George Washington, then commander of the Continental Army, and later the first President of the USA. The other shows a classical column surrounded by thirteen hands, representing the Thirteen Colonies, the future USA. An allegorical representation of a Native North American figure symbolises 'America' itself and reflects the importance of alliances with Indigenous Nations.
Also on display will be a wampum belt which represents peaceful diplomacy between the Lenape (Delaware) and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in 1712. Its inclusion in the exhibition demonstrates the longstanding practice of diplomacy and alliances between Indigenous Nations. The Lenape signed the Treaty of Fort Pitt (1778) with the Revolutionaries – the first formal treaty between an Indigenous Nation and the United States.
Many Indigenous Peoples fought on the British side during the war. A pipe tomahawk given to Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), a Mohawk, Haudenosaunee leader, represents the Mohawk alliance with the British. The engraving on the pipe reads, 'Given to my friend Joseph Brant from the Duke of Northumberland 1805' who advocated for Mohawk land rights in Parliament following the war.
Together, the objects reveal the complex history leading up to, during and after the war, and demonstrate how diplomatic and material traditions were used to form alliances and negotiate sovereignty and power.
Quotes
Tom Hockenhull, Keeper of the Department of Money and Medals, said:
'The objects in this display play witness to the events leading up to, and beyond the Declaration of Independence.
'The Washington Peace medal is an extraordinary survivor of this turbulent time, having passed through the hands of all three main protagonists in the Revolutionary War.'
Dr Rose Taylor, Curator: Americas, said:
'I'm excited we're able to bring these interconnected objects together for the first time, and explore the materiality of alliances, diplomacy and negotiations between Indigenous Nations, the American Revolutionaries and the British.
'The display also foregrounds Indigenous histories, reminding audiences the war took place on Indigenous lands and highlighting the vital roles Indigenous Nations played in the conflict and how its legacies continue to shape Indigenous communities today.'
Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, Director of the British Museum, said:
'The United States of America and Britain have a long and interwoven history, as evidenced through this fascinating and timely display. We are delighted to mark 250 years of the USA through three extraordinary objects from the British Museum's collection, which bore witness to such a pivotal moment in the founding of the nation. The generous loan of the Sussex Declaration, a rare copy of one of the most famous documents in the world, will complement the narrative when it joins the display in the autumn.'
Warren Stephens, US Ambassador to the UK, said:
'We hope this exhibit allows visitors on both sides of the Atlantic to remember not just our past, but the enduring relevance of the ideas contained in the Declaration today.
'As we celebrate 250 years of American independence, we know everyone seeing the exhibition will engage with and celebrate this history as if it were part of their own. Because while the revolution was in America, it started long before, with the ideas that underpinned the United Kingdom, today our closest ally. Those values continue to connect us in the present day.'
Bernard Mensah, President of International, Bank of America said:
'Bank of America is proud to support the British Museum in marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.
'This partnership brings together important objects that tell a more complete story of this pivotal moment in history, and we are pleased to support the inclusion of the Sussex Declaration within the display. This will allow more people to experience these histories first-hand, while highlighting the enduring importance of dialogue, shared history and the connections that continue to shape relationships today.'
Declaring Independence: USA 250 will run from 30 June – 29 November in Room 3. The Sussex Declaration will be on display from the middle of the run.
Notes to editors
West Sussex Record Office
West Sussex Record Office is part of West Sussex County Council and looks after the historical archives of West Sussex. It is an Accredited Archive Service and is licensed by The National Archives as a Place of Deposit for Public Records. Set up in 1946 it holds over eight miles of records dating back over 1200 years and makes them available for people to explore and enjoy both in person and online. Further details can be found at on the West Sussex Record Office website.
The Sussex Declaration
The Sussex Declaration was donated to the Record Office in 1956 and publicised in a Record Office publication, Roots of America, edited by Kim C. Leslie, in 1976. The full significance of the document was uncovered through the work of the Declaration Resources Project set up at Harvard University in 2015 under Professor Danielle Allen. Partnership work between Harvard University, the Library of Congress, the British Library and West Sussex Record Office resulted in a programme of research and scientific testing. Further details can be found on the Sussex Declaration Resources Project website and on the Transatlantic Ties website, a project funded by the Mellon Foundation to explore and raise awareness of the shared history of West Sussex and the United States through the County's archives.
Contact West Sussex County Council Press Office
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 033 022 28090
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving nearly 70 million clients with approximately 3,500 retail financial centres, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 59 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. As the #1 small business lender in the United States (FDIC), Bank of America offers industry leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
At Bank of America, we believe that investing in the arts has a positive impact on our lives. We support a wide range of nonprofit organisations with funding and programming to help make the arts more accessible to communities around the world and to preserve works of art and heritage sites for generations to come. For more information about how we support the arts, please visit our Bank of America arts website.
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