Revolution!

This special installation marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the United States of America. Featured works from across The Met offer a wide view of the roots, course, and aftermath of the Revolutionary War (1775–1783)—from early conflicts between colonists and Indigenous peoples to George Washington’s voluntary retirement, in 1797, from his two-term presidency.

Rarely seen prints reveal the transatlantic circulation of news about the struggle for independence during a fractious political period. This window into the era’s print culture highlights the global dimensions of the rebellion, the contested ideas about liberty that shaped it, and its consequential outcomes. Also on view are American and European works of art that depict a range of significant individuals. These include the Wampanoag chief Metacomet, whose battles with early colonists laid the groundwork for revolution; the African American poet Phillis Wheatley, who raised her voice against an expansive tyranny in her call for emancipation; patriots and presidents such as Paul Revere and George Washington; the Mohawk leader Thayendanegea, who allied with the British in an effort to retain Indigenous sovereignty; and iconic contributors to the Declaration of Independence John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson.

Together, these artworks acknowledge multiple complex and intertwined histories that continue to resonate in the United States and beyond, some two and half centuries later.