Feb 17
In 2026, America celebrates its 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and Indiana University Bloomington will join in commemorating this historic occasion.
As the United States marks this milestone, IUB will host programming, exhibits, and events that honor the country’s past, reflect on the principles and importance of the Declaration, and create a common experience for the campus and the community to honor our country’s past while looking toward our shared future.
Central to the campus commemoration is a Lilly Library exhibit: The Motives, The Moment. The exhibit examines this crucial moment in American history through the unparalleled collection of the Lilly Library. The Library’s Dunlap Broadside, a first printing of the Declaration of Independence, is the centerpiece. One of only 26 copies known copies today, it was printed the night of July 4, 1776, it is the source of all revolutionary era reprintings. Books, pamphlets, newspapers, prints, and letters allow viewers to explore key questions about this moment in time.