Commemorating America's 250th Anniversary

Light and dark blue text overlaid on light gray text from the Declaration of Independence reads: Virginia & America's Journey to A More Perfect Union

Our American experiment is unique in human history—a government of laws and not of individuals; a government by the people and for the people, founded on the self-evident truth that all are created equal and are endowed with the universal rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. In our first two and a half centuries, our nation, through the determination of its people, and with its unlimited capacity for reinvention and renewal, has progressed in its journey, working to fulfill by struggle and sacrifice the promise of our founding for all Americans.

In 2026, the United States of America will mark its 250th anniversary. We must embrace this historic moment—extraordinary in our lifetimes—and act upon it by together renewing our commitment to the unfinished pursuit of A More Perfect Union—to reflect deeply on our past and invest with great purpose in our future.

A collage of three images with a child signing a reproduction of the Declaration of Independence, a family standing outside of the museum with American flags, and a group of students cheering and walking with the Virginia state flag

VMHC's 250th Initiative

On July 4, 2023, the VMHC launched a multi-year initiative to mark America’s upcoming milestone. This exciting effort includes:

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Two Major Exhibits & Traveling Shows

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Statewide Investment in Civics & History Education

Special 250th Events

Special 250th Lectures

Three New Publications

Statewide Investment in History Museums

Special Exhibitions at the VMHC

Give Me Liberty

On display from March 2025 to January 2026

This special exhibition will embrace the sweeping history of America’s founding and mark the origins of a revolutionary new nation. A traveling version of this exhibition appropriate for display in libraries, schools, and museums will also be available.

Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation is the signature exhibition of Virginia's 250th Commission.

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We The People

On display from March 2026 to January 2027

This special exhibition will explore the many people who, over centuries, have made Virginia the unique place it is in America and in the world, and the dramatic impact of the immigrant experience throughout Virginia’s history as people arrived from the four corners of the globe. A traveling version of this exhibition appropriate for display in libraries, schools, and museums will also be available.

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A Statewide Investment in Civics Education

The John Marshall Center becomes part of the VMHC

The VMHC is proud to announce that longtime partner, the John Marshall Center for Constitutional History & Civics (JMC), has become part of the museum—creating an innovative new civics education center and empowering the VMHC to bring history and civics education to an increasing number of students and adult learners across the Commonwealth and beyond.

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Publications & Scholarship

The VMHC will support new research into topics related to the 250th and publish a multi-year series of new books.

Our Commonwealth

Published in 2024

This volume will serve as the accompanying publication for the VMHC's newest long-term exhibition, Our Commonwealth, which provides an in-depth, multi-sensory journey through the five major regions of Virginia. This lavishly illustrated volume will feature stories and artifacts from across Virginia, immersing readers in the landscapes, foodways, industries, and people that make up our state.

Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation

Published in 2025

This new book will serve as the accompanying publication for the VMHC's signature exhibition, Give Me Liberty, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It will feature submissions from leading historians at many of Virginia's institutions of higher education as well as rare artifacts from the collections of both the VMHC and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

We The People

Published in 2026

This new work will serve as the accompanying publication for We the People, an exhibition that will explore the centrality of the immigrant experience throughout Virginia's history.

Investing in Virginia's History Organizations

In 2024 and 2025, the VMHC will focus its statewide grant program, The Commonwealth History Fund, on supporting history organizations across the Commonwealth and their work to mark the 250th. The VMHC plans to grant nearly $1,000,000 to fellow history organizations and Virginia tribes.

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Support VMHC’s 250th Plans

The VMHC, the Commonwealth’s oldest museum and cultural organization, doesn’t receive any state operating support. Please help by making a gift today to support our important 250th work.

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Learn More About America's Origins

Dive into the history that led to the forming of the United States of America.

Causes of the American Revolution

The Virginia gentry played leading roles in the Continental Congresses that debated independence, the fighting of the American Revolution, and the conception and implementation of a new government.

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The Revolutionary Era in Virginia

At both the start and end of the Revolutionary War, Virginia became a battlefield. Virginia’s political leaders tackled the critical issue of what rights the new American government should guarantee its citizens.

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Establishing a Nation

Three of Virginia’s Revolutionary era leaders played critical roles in the successful establishment of the nation’s three branches of government—the legislative, executive, and judicial.

2023-2026

Commemorating America's 250th Anniversary