Within the gallery halls of the Lilly Library on Indiana University’s Bloomington campus sits a copy of the Declaration of Independence, one of only 26 known to exist. The document is a centerpiece of a special exhibition tied to IU’s commemoration of America’s 250th birthday.
Titled “The Declaration of Independence: The Motives, The Moment,” the exhibition features books, letters, newspapers and documents representing the founding of the United States. The exhibit is separated into two sides — the motive and the moment— according to Erika Dowell, the exhibitions curator and executive associate director of the Lilly Library.
Dowell said the motive side explores the ideas and events that pushed colonial Americans toward independence, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. The moment side shows the aftermath, like how news of the declaration spread after its publication, including through personal letters and newspaper prints.
At the centerpiece is the Dunlap Broadside, a surviving copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed on July 4, 1776, by John Dunlap. Dowell said the document is among the rarest surviving artifacts of the United States’ founding, with only 26 known copies to exist worldwide.
“It’s really a rare and evocative piece of American history,” Dowell said. “And we’re very, very lucky and happy to have this one here at the Lilly Library.”
The Lilly Library is offering two free curator-led talks with Dowell June 13 and July 18, with the exhibit open to the public until Dec. 18. Dowell said the exhibit has been in the works for roughly two years, deliberately timed around the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“It is a good opportunity where a lot of our country is thinking about this at the same time,” Dowell said. “Especially this summer, as the Fourth of July is kind of an inflection point in the commemoration.”
The Lilly Library exhibit serves as the main attraction of IU Bloomington’s America 250 commemoration, a series of campus events, courses and exhibitions celebrating America’s 250th anniversary taking place throughout 2026.
The initiative spans multiple IU Bloomington schools, including American music performances at the Jacobs School of Music and two new courses and a statewide debate tournament for middle through college students at the College of Arts and Sciences, among others.
In an IU news release in February, IU Bloomington Chancellor David Reingold said the initiative is designed to connect the university’s academic resources to broader communities across the state.
“Through America 250 programming, IU Bloomington is bringing its scholarship, collections and creative work into conversation with communities across the state, creating opportunities to learn from the past and explore the meaning and continuing importance of the Declaration of Independence,” Reingold said.
Reingold said the university is honored to mark the occasion by engaging students, local school children and the community in reflecting on the United States founding ideals.
The idea for a commemoration at IU came from Leslie Lenkowsky, professor emeritus of public affairs, with Reingold askingLenkowsky to become chair of the America 250 committee.
Lenkowsky said the upcoming semiquincentennial offers universities a rare opportunity to refocus attention to shared values.
“What we really ought to be thinking about as we move to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is whether institutions like IU can organize a series of events so that we could think again about what our national ideals are,” Lenkowsky said.“What we have in common rather than what divides us.”
As part of the commemoration, IU launched a small grant program open to faculty, students, schools and departments across campus between February and June 2026. Chancellor Reingold set aside funding of up to $5,000 per proposal for seminars, conferences, guest speakers and other programs.
Out of about 20 proposals submitted, over half were funded, according to Lenkowsky.
The proposals included public talks and events on topics that included the reading habits of the Founding Fathers, the fates of the Declaration’s signers and the role of espionage during the Revolutionary War.
The commemoration also included a free, self-guided tour, connecting three stops in the Fine Arts Plaza. Visitors can see the Lilly Library exhibit, a 1796 portrait of George Washington at the Eskenazi Museum of Art and Thomas Hart Benton’s mural titled, “The Social History of Indiana,” at IU Auditorium. For K-12 students, the Eskenazi Museum of Art offers a guided field trip tour.
While many events have already taken place, more information for upcoming events can be found on IU’s America 250 website.
Lenkowsky said he hopes the initiative has reminded students of why the anniversary matters beyond a celebration.
“The uniqueness of the United States starts with the Declaration of Independence,” Lenkowsky said. “Our most cherished values about liberty and equality date to that.”
