This year, the American Writers Museum (AWM) presents programming commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence as an official partner of Illinois America 250—a statewide effort to bring together Illinoisans’ diverse perspectives about our history and future, as part of the nationwide
America250 celebration.
A special pop-up exhibit Declarations: 250 Years of Writing Toward Independence, open at AWM
from Thursday, June 18 to Monday, September 7 (Labor Day), the museum will display an 1823
William Stone print of the Declaration of Independence, as commissioned by then Secretary of State
John Quincy Adams, along with a 1776 British first edition of Common Sense by Thomas Paine
advocating for the independence of the U.S. colonies. The exhibit will also invite visitors to reflect on
works by writers throughout American history that are thematically related to the Declaration,
including President Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harvey Milk and
Martin Luther King Jr. Interactive elements will include a Declaration of Independence erasure poetry
section, allowing visitors to edit the founding document into their own words.
Declarations: 250 Years of Writing Toward Independence (June 18–September 7) is included with general admission. Tickets to the museum are $16 for adults, $10 for seniors, students, and teachers. Free for
members and children ages 12 and under.