Iconic U.S. Founding Records Set for Rare Public Display Across the Nation

Clear Facts

• National Archives launches Freedom Plane tour with nine founding-era documents visiting cities ahead of U.S. 250th anniversary.
• Tour begins Kansas City National WWI Museum through March 22, proceeds Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, Miami, Dearborn, Seattle.
• Featured items include 1774 Articles of Association, 1778 oaths by Washington, Hamilton, Burr, 1783 Treaty of Paris, 1787 Constitution tally and draft, 1823 Declaration engraving.

The Freedom Plane National Tour brings historic records from Washington D.C. to communities nationwide. These treasures rarely leave the capital, offering Americans a unique chance to view them up close.

Boeing pilot Joe Seymour flew the Freedom Plane.

“These are the Founding Fathers of the United States, and there’s a great pride that comes with that. To say it’s a privilege or an honor would really be an understatement,” Seymour said.

National Archives historian Jesse Kratzer highlights the personal connection to founders.

“When I touch this piece of paper, I’m touching the same piece of paper that Alexander Hamilton touched,” Kratzer said. “He signed it Alex Hamilton.”

Documents travel under strict protection in a dimly lit room.

“We have them wrapped in mylar and then they are also encapsulated with plexiglass,” Kratzer said. “So basically they’re in their own microclimates.”

The exhibit traces the American Revolution, government creation, and Bill of Rights.

“This exhibit itself is really a history of the American Revolution, the creation of our government and then the creation of the Bill of Rights within one small space,” Kratzer said.

Museum CEO Matthew Naylor praises the heartland start for all Americans.

“These fundamental documents record all those happenings as our forebears sought to define who we were and who we wanted to be as Americans,” Naylor said.

Preserve our heritage by visiting these exhibits upholding traditional values. Full tour details await on the official site.

Freedom Plane National Tour Schedule

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