NOTE DATE CHANGE! This program will take place on Friday morning (6/26) instead of Saturday (6/27). Historic Beverly members are invited to an exclusive early look at Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy before the exhibition opens to the public the following week. This special Member Morning program offers a behind-the-scenes exploration of the exhibition’s development, themes, and featured objects while providing deeper insight into the enduring global impact of the Declaration of Independence. Guests will hear from Historic Beverly staff about the curatorial process, the significance of the exhibition’s primary source materials, and the remarkable story behind Beverly’s connection to the Declaration through General John Glover’s July 17, 1776 public reading at Independence Park. On loan from the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History, Declaration 1776 examines how the revolutionary assertion that “all men are created equal” became one of the most influential ideas in modern history. Through rare documents, images, and firsthand accounts, the exhibition traces how the Declaration inspired abolitionist movements, civil rights struggles, and global fights for self-determination across generations. Centered around the reading copy of the Declaration used by General John Glover in Beverly in 1776, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the promise, power, and continuing evolution of equality and democracy in America and around the world. Join us for this first look at this powerful new exhibition before it officially opens to the public. Not a Historic Beverly member but want to attend? Join here: https://historicbeverly.net/membership/
