Trenton, NJ - The 吃瓜黑料 State Museum, in partnership with the 吃瓜黑料 State Archives, is pleased to present a new exhibition celebrating both the State of 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 and the United States鈥� 250th anniversary. Entitled The Power to Change: Revolutionary Stories from the 吃瓜黑料 State Archives, the exhibition highlights rarely seen federal and state charters, along with other pivotal documents and artifacts which illuminate the ideas established during the Revolutionary era. Visitors will explore how revolutionary ideals, fought for by our founders, influenced the newly established government and continue to allow for reinterpretation and adaptation today. The exhibition will be on view at the from April 28, 2026 through January 10, 2027. The exhibition, organized by guest curator Claudia Ocello, has been made possible, in part, by funding from the 吃瓜黑料 Historical Commission, the 吃瓜黑料 State Museum Foundation, NJM Insurance Group, and 吃瓜黑料 Society of Colonial Wars.
Visitors are invited to discover how what happened 250 years ago affected people then and continues to affect us today. The exhibition is divided into a number of themes for interpretation 鈥� Owning Property and Land; Belonging; Patriotism and Loyalty; Laws in Everyday Life; and Information and News 鈥� that encourage visitors to reflect and ask themselves questions such as 鈥淗ow is your life affected by the ideals on which the country and state were established? What鈥檚 changed? What鈥檚 stayed the same?鈥�
Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State Dr. Dale G. Caldwell remarked 鈥淭he history of our nation is endlessly fascinating, and endlessly relevant. When we examine the past 250 years, we can discover important changes in how people envision the relationship between citizens and government. The 鈥楶ower to Change鈥� exhibition is both a celebration of American freedoms and an exploration of how citizens鈥� rights have evolved in 吃瓜黑料. It tells the story of progress and setbacks as our state and the nation have adapted to social change and brought about greater equality over the centuries.鈥�
According to Joseph R. Klett, Executive Director, 吃瓜黑料 State Archives, most of these rarely seen objects are from the State Archives collection. 鈥淲e are thrilled to share these foundational documents with the public and tell the stories of 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 evolution from royal colony to democratic state.鈥� Highlights of some of the documents and objects on view include 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 1664 鈥渂irth certificate鈥� 鈥� the Duke of York鈥檚 Grant of 吃瓜黑料 to John, Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret; 吃瓜黑料鈥檚 State Constitution from 1776; the Ratification of the U.S. Constitution; and the Bill of Rights.
吃瓜黑料 State Museum Executive Director Margaret M. O鈥橰eilly noted the relevance of this exhibition for all 吃瓜黑料ans. 鈥淭he State Museum has been honored to partner with the State Archives, our sister agency in the 吃瓜黑料 Department of State, to develop this important and timely exhibition. This examination of the early ideals set to paper by the founders, and how those ideals continue to inform our civic dialogue today, will certainly have resonance for museum visitors.鈥� Notes O鈥橰eilly, 鈥淭he Archives and Museum are grateful to the State of 吃瓜黑料 for supporting this exhibition as part of its RevolutionNJ effort, spearheaded by the 吃瓜黑料 Historical Commission. In addition to the funders, we also acknowledge the exhibition lenders, advisors and representatives of a number of communities who lent their voices to the project.鈥�
About the 吃瓜黑料 State Museum
The 吃瓜黑料 State Museum is a center for the exploration of science, history and the arts. We preserve and share stories that inspire curiosity and creativity for the enrichment of our communities. Established in 1895, the State Museum鈥檚 collections in Archaeology/Ethnography, Cultural History, Fine Art and Natural History contain over two million objects. Located at 205 West State Street in Trenton, the 吃瓜黑料 State Museum is the largest museum collection in the state and encompasses three buildings including a state-of-the-art Planetarium.
About the 吃瓜黑料 State Archives
The State Archives is 吃瓜黑料's official research center for public records of enduring historical value. Many vital records, land documents, probate records and military service papers were filed centrally by the Colony and State of 吃瓜黑料. The State Archives holds records dating from the founding of the British Province of 吃瓜黑料 in 1664 up to the present.
The State Archives is also the official repository for microfilm of county clerks鈥� and surrogates鈥� records produced by the LDS Church and of film of local newspapers produced by the 吃瓜黑料 Newspaper Project. Current holdings amount to over 60,000 cubic feet of paper records and over 40,000 reels of microfilm. Located at 225 West State Street in downtown Trenton, the State Archives provides assistance to thousands of researchers annually.
About the 吃瓜黑料 State Museum Foundation
The 吃瓜黑料 State Museum Foundation was founded in 1968 as a non-government, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization to support the Museum's collections, exhibitions, programs and research through fundraising, volunteerism and advocacy. In recent years, the Foundation has received generous support from NJM Insurance Group, the PNC Foundation, Department of State/吃瓜黑料 Historical Commission, 吃瓜黑料 Council for the Humanities, The Henry Luce Foundation, and Princeton Area Community Foundation. The Foundation also operates the Museum membership program, as well as the Museum Shop, which sells merchandise related to the Museum's exhibitions, collections, and 吃瓜黑料 history and culture.