Virginia Museum of History & Culture Kicks Off America’s 250th Anniversary with Spring 2025 Exhibition
‘Give Me Liberty’ offers a fresh perspective through iconic artifacts and essential stories of America’s founding
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) will spearhead the United States’ 250th anniversary commemoration with “Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation,” on view March 22, 2025 – Jan. 4, 2026. The groundbreaking exhibition will be the first major show in the nation and will be accompanied by traveling presentations across the state.
The opening coincides with the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” speech, a pivotal moment leading to the American Revolution. VMHC developed “Give Me Liberty” in partnership with the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation (JYF). It is presented by VA250, Virginia’s semiquincentennial planning commission.
The exhibition delves into Virginia’s important role in the American Revolution, exploring the confluence of continental and global forces as well as the actions of both iconic and often-overlooked people who together established a new nation and changed the world.
“‘Give Me Liberty’ is about more than a single moment in time,” said President & CEO of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture Jamie Bosket. “It frames the decade leading up to the Declaration of Independence as a dynamic period of change and exploration. It also examines how the powerful ideas born in that era have continued to drive America’s movement toward a more perfect union.”
“Through the special partnership of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Virginians and others will be able to take a fresh look at the founding of our nation, the extensive role Virginians played and its relevance to today,” said Christy S. Coleman, executive director of JYF, which administers the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.
Immersive multimedia scenes bring significant moments in history to life. Visitors can experience the electrifying atmosphere at St. John’s Church where Patrick Henry delivered his famous speech and see an early tavern and print house where many lively conversations occurred.
“Give Me Liberty” is divided into five sections: “Protest to Action,” “Words to Action,” “Liberty in Action,” “Virginia in Action” and “A Call to Action: Our Living American Revolution of Ideas.” The exhibition features a diverse array of significant artifacts, including key Revolutionary War documents such as Dunmore’s Proclamation, Nov. 7, 1775, likely printed by Alexander Cameron and Donald McDonald aboard the HMS Otter, and Virginia’s Declaration of Rights. Also on view will be symbolic objects like “The Belt that Would Not Burn,” the Liberty to Slaves frock and iconic reproductions of Thomas Jefferson’s writing desk and the House of Burgesses speaker’s chair.
Several pairings will offer a detailed look at the lives of prominent revolutionary figures. Charles Willson Peale’s portrait of George Washington as Colonel in the Virginia Regiment will be showcased beside his silver-hilted smallsword worn during the French and Indian War. Visitors can examine the letter opener that Patrick Henry waved during his famous “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” speech alongside his eyeglasses.
While “Give Me Liberty” presents engaging encounters with familiar figures like the Founding Fathers, the exhibition also offers a rich, thoughtful perspective on Virginia’s past with artifacts that emphasize lesser known yet essential contributions of women like Clementina Rind, who courageously took over her husband’s printing business and played a crucial role in disseminating vital early documents. Other artifacts focus on the story of Indigenous populations, recognizing that Virginia Tribes were not monolithic and that their loyalties were divided during the colonial era.
“‘Give Me Liberty’ serves as a reminder that our nation is a product of complex and evolving relationships and that understanding our past, with all its complexities, is essential for navigating the challenges and opportunities of the present,” said Bosket.
To further enrich the experience, a virtual tour and the limited-series podcast “Revolution Revisited” will launch in early 2025, offering in-depth explorations of key themes and figures from the exhibition. As the nation marks America’s 250th anniversary in July 2026, VMHC will host a nightly block party inviting visitors to watch an account of the nation unfold in a video projection that will illuminate the museum’s block-long, historic façade.
“The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation has valued the opportunity to work in close collaboration with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture to create an important exhibition that showcases the pivotal role that Virginia and Virginians played in the American Revolution,” said Mariruth Leftwich, Ph.D., JYF senior director of Museum Operations and Education. “The JYF team has worked tirelessly to ensure that a wide range of perspectives and experiences have been represented and brought to life through dynamic media installations, compelling original artifacts and opportunities for visitors to find their own connections in the evolution of this Revolutionary journey.”
VMHC continues to play a pivotal role in igniting the 250th anniversary commemoration in Virginia and across the nation. VMHC was among the first institutions to call together history leaders in Virginia and helped establish Virginia’s 250th Commission. Notably, Bosket helped conceptualize the idea of a national convening to help inspire engagement and planning across the nation, and together with Colonial Williamsburg, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and VA250, hosted A Common Cause to All conference. This summit, the largest national 250th planning event, brought together state and regional planners from across the country to share a vision for the nation’s 250th anniversary. The gathering drew inspiration from the Committees of Correspondence that met in Williamsburg in 1773. That convening played a pivotal role in uniting the original colonies.
A Common Cause to All has established Virginia as a national leader in 250th anniversary planning. The third annual event, to be held March 23-25, will coincide with the opening of the “Give Me Liberty” exhibition.
“VA250 is proud to join with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation to present this extraordinary exhibition, which will ignite curiosity and spark conversation,” said VA250 Executive Director Cheryl Wilson. “It will bring Virginians together to learn more about our key role in shaping the nation, better understand the untold stories and unsung heroes that shaped our past and inspire our ongoing work to form a more perfect union.”
As a part of efforts to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, VMHC recently launched Civics Connects, a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive education program that covers all Virginia and national Standards of Learning (SOL) for middle school civics and economics. This new statewide resource offers free lesson plans, classroom activities, access to experts and onsite educators and videos featuring Virginia middle school students serving as “civics investigators” who travel to places of historical significance around the state.
“History isn’t just about the past; it’s a roadmap for the future,” said Bosket. “The Virginia Museum of History & Culture’s core mission is to use history as a unifying force, fostering a shared sense of identity that is needed now more than ever. Nearly one-third of history museums in America were founded around the 1976 bicentennial. The 250th anniversary is an opportunity for an even greater intellectual and cultural expansion. The VMHC is committed to meeting this important moment and to engaging and inspiring Americans now and for generations to come.”
Following its time at VMHC, “Give Me Liberty” will be on display at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown from July 1, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027. A mobile, companion version of the exhibition will also travel across Virginia from 2025 to 2027, visiting more than 50 local museums, libraries and community centers. In June 2025, a publication, also titled “Give Me Liberty,” will be released. This volume will feature essays by leading historians from higher education institutions across the country and offer readers a new perspective and greater depth on the stories shared in the exhibition.
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Virginia Museum of History & Culture Marquee 250th Anniversary Exhibitions and Events
Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation | March 22, 2025-Jan. 4, 2026
Revolution Revisited podcast | Trailer available now
Virginia Explorer Virtual Tour | Launches winter 2025
Un/Bound: Free Black Virginians, 1619-1865 | June 14, 2025-July 5, 2026
We The People | March 14, 2026-Jan. 3, 2027
Sail250 with Tall Ships RVA | June 12-15, 2026
IllumiNATION | June-July 2026
About the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, a private, non-profit organization, is the oldest museum and cultural organization in Virginia and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the United States. The museum cares for a renowned collection of more than nine million items representing the far-reaching story of Virginia.
About the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown tells the story of the nation’s founding through immersive gallery exhibits and living history interpretation, capturing the transformational nature and epic scale of the Revolution and its relevance today. It is administered by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, an educational agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Local and Regional
Brad Tuggle
Virginia Museum of History and Culture
(804) 399-5513
BTuggle@VirginiaHistory.org
National
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Blue Water Communications
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Bell from St. John’s Church, Richmond, Virginia, 18th century. 14 x 10.5 inches. Gift of Mrs. Charles Benjamin Bryant. Courtesy of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
Musket cartridge, 18th century. On loan from the George C. Neumann Collection, Valley Forge National Historical Park.
3rd United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) plate, 1864. Collection of the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.
Thomas Sully’s portrait of Patrick Henry, 1851. 38.75 x 33.5 x 2.75 inches. Gift of Thomas Sully. Courtesy of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
