Sunday, July 5, 2026

A Revolutionary Document, 250 Years On, Sparks a Conversation at The Huntington

[photo credit: The Huntington]

Scholars trace how news of the Declaration of Independence reached California — and why it still resonates

When the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago, there was no telegraph, no railroad and no California statehood. So how did word of the American experiment travel across a continent and around the world? That question anchors “American Landmarks: Declaration of Independence,” a panel and community conversation at The Huntington on Wednesday, July 8.

The evening centers on The Huntington’s own holdings, including two July 1776 printings of the Declaration now on view in the “This Land Is …” exhibition. A short panel — moderated by Susan Juster, the W.M. Keck Foundation Director of Research — features UC Riverside historian Steven Hackel alongside Huntington curators Olga Tsapina and Diego Godoy. After the discussion, attendees are invited to weigh the Declaration’s revolutionary promises against later, more contemporary declarations of emancipation.

The program is part of the American Landmarks series, presented with the USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute as part of the LA2026 project marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. Ticketholders may enter the grounds as early as 2 p.m. to take a self-guided tour of the “This Land Is …” exhibition, which draws on the institution’s library, art and botanical collections to explore land as a defining thread in American life.

Admission is free, but reservations are required. For anyone drawn to the history beneath this summer’s anniversary, the conversation trades fireworks for something more lasting: a look at how an idea takes hold and endures.

“American Landmarks: Declaration of Independence” will take place on Wednesday, July 8 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. For more information, call (626) 405-2100 or visit huntington.org. Admission is free with reservation. Registration required.