The New York State Museum has opened “Revolutionary New York,” a major new exhibition commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and exploring New York’s central role in shaping American democracy.
Remaining on display for several years, the nearly 7,000-square-foot exhibition brings together more than 200 artifacts, rare documents, immersive displays, interactive elements, and stories that connect the American Revolution’s founding ideals to the continuing pursuit of freedom, equality, justice, and civic responsibility across generations.
Drawing on themes developed by the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission, “Revolutionary New York” invites visitors to see the state not only as a battleground of the American Revolution, but as a place where the meaning of liberty has been debated, challenged, expanded, and redefined for more than two centuries.
The exhibition presents revolution as an ongoing American story, including the birth of the women’s suffrage movement in Seneca Falls, the Stonewall Uprising, emancipation and the Underground Railroad, labor rights, and environmental justice.
250 Years of New York Revolutions
Guests entering the exhibit are welcomed by a women’s suffrage wagon used on Long Island, one of two known to exist. Once inside, visitors will encounter more than 200 artifacts exploring the state’s role in revolutions spanning three centuries.
“Revolutionary New York” is divided into five main sections.
Power of Place
Centered around a reconstructed Revolutionary War-era gunboat discovered beneath the site of the World Trade Center, this section invites visitors to explore events from the 1763 Treaty of Paris through the War of 1812, highlighting New York State’s critical role in the fight for liberty.
Interactive elements include the opportunity to touch a six-pound, British-made cannon recovered in 1986 from the U.S. Assay site in Lower Manhattan. The cannon rests atop a replica artillery sled constructed by students at WSWHE BOCES, modeled after those used by Henry Knox to transport cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston
Choosing Sides
The left side of the gallery examines how diverse groups and individuals navigated the Revolution. Men, women, soldiers, civilians, enslaved Africans, free African Americans, Indigenous peoples, and others were all affected by the Revolution and had to balance the social, economic, and political changes wrought by the war.
Artifacts include chains that spanned the Hudson River to impede British ships from sailing north from the city of New York and the Fidelity Medallion presented to Issac Van Wart after he and two other militiamen captured British Major John Andre.
Revolutionary Ideas Over Time
The next section focuses on the legacy of Revolutionary ideals in ongoing movements for equality and justice, as well as the enduring role of the press. Visitors can explore audio recordings from modern revolutionaries, including Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Shirley Chisholm; a replica printing press from the 1976 Bicentennial; and rotating original materials from the New York State Archives and Library, including a 1912 petition in favor of women’s suffrage
Founding of the Nation
Guests can then examine how New Yorkers helped shape the founding of the United States while confronting contradictions between the nation’s ideals and realities. Artifacts from early state and federal history include a gavel reportedly used by Walter Livingston to convene the first New York State Assembly in 1777; George Washington’s watch chain; a mahogany side chair used in Federal Hall during Washington’s inauguration; and a replica of the pipe tomahawk George Washington is believed to have presented Cornplanter (the original was returned to the Seneca Nation in 2020).
We the People
The right side of the gallery is devoted to major movements for social change following the Revolution, including women’s suffrage, abolition and civil rights, immigration, labor rights, environmental justice, and LGBTQ+ equality.
Each movement is represented through dedicated displays featuring items such as a circa 1835 pulpit from Holy Cross Church in Troy, NY; a one-third-scale model of the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument; and a full-size Volkswagen Beetle painted in bright rainbow-colored stripes.
Educational Resources
Patrons with low vision, individuals unable to travel, and guests hoping to learn more are encouraged to visit the exhibit webpage. There, you’ll discover additional resources, including visual descriptions of each gallery space and information on featured objects and artifacts.
Educational resources and accompanying learning activities from the Museum, Library, and Archives are available as part of the New York at 250 Resources for Educators on ConsidertheSourceNY.org.
About the New York State Museum
Established in 1836, the New York State Museum is the oldest and largest public museum in the United States. Home to leading scientists, historians, archeologists, and anthropologists, its collections represent the State’s rich cultural and natural heritage from the past and present, including a staggering 20+ million artifacts spanning 1.1 billion years ago to today.
Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 am to 5 pm. It is closed on all state-observed holidays, including the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is free. For additional information, visit the New York State Museum website and subscribe to our newsletter.
Read more about the American Revolution in New York.
Illustrations, from above: The “Revolutionary New York” exhibit logo; a wooden horse-drawn wagon, used as a prop and speaker platform on Long Island, was said by suffragists to date to 1776 and belong to Revolutionary Patriots, though the wagon style was not produced before 1820; Revolutionary War-era gunboat discovered beneath the site of the World Trade Center; the Fidelity Medallion is the first military medal authorized and presented by the Continental Congress; a replica printing press from American Revolution and founding era; a replica of the pipe tomahawk given by Cornplanter to George Washington; and the pulpit from the Troy’s Holy Cross Church, ca. 1845.
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