American Landmarks: Declaration of Independence

Written 250 years ago, the Declaration of Independence had global influence. But how did news of it reach the wider world, including California? Learn about the various July 1776 versions of the Declaration—including two copies on view in The Huntington's "This Land Is ..." exhibition (opening June 14)—and the ways in which the text and ideas of this revolutionary document traveled across the continent and beyond. Following a short panel conversation moderated by W.M. Keck Foundation Director of Research Susan Juster, featuring historian Steven Hackel and Huntington curators Olga Tsapina and Diego Godoy, attendees will be invited to discuss the revolutionary promises of the Declaration in conversation with other, more contemporary, declarations of emancipation.  

Key Details

• Please check in at Admission window #10. Reservations are required to participate in this event and include admission to The Huntington after 2 p.m.
• Event ticketholders are welcome to enter The Huntington’s grounds starting at 2 p.m. on the day of the event in order to take a self-guided tour of the “This Land Is ...” exhibition in the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery. This exhibition features two copies of the Declaration from 1776.
• The walk between Boone Gallery and Haaga Hall takes approximately 15 minutes. It is recommended that you arrive by 4 p.m. if you wish to take a self-guided tour. Last admission time for galleries and gardens is 4:30 p.m.

About the Speakers

Steven Hackel, Professor of History, University of California, Riverside  

Steven Hackel is a historian of early America specializing on the Spanish Borderlands, colonial California, and Native Californians. He is especially interested in Native responses to colonialism, the effects of disease on colonial encounters, and new ways of visualizing these processes through digital history.