An engraving of the Declaration of Independence. A draft of the U.S. Constitution. A markup of the Bill of Rights.
These and several other original documents from the founding era of the United States will be on display at the USC Fisher Museum of Art from Friday, April 17, through May 3 — a part of a National Archives traveling exhibition celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary this year.
The signatures of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, on the 1783 Treaty of Paris, is seen in original documents from the National Archives’ traveling exhibition, “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation,” at the USC Fisher Museum of Art in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 16, 2026. The show runs from April 17 through May 3. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
An Oath of Allegiance signed at Valley Forge is seen in historical documents from the National Archives’ traveling exhibition, “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation,” at the USC Fisher Museum of Art in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 16, 2026. The show runs from April 17 through May 3. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Documents including the 1787 votes approving the U.S. Constitution is seen in the historical documents from the National Archives’ traveling exhibition, “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation,” at the USC Fisher Museum of Art in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 16, 2026. The show runs from April 17 through May 3. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
William Stone’s engraving of the Declaration of Independence, commissioned by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams in 1823 and on loan from a private citizen, is seen in the “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” exhibition at the USC Fisher Museum of Art in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 16, 2026. The show runs from April 17 through May 3. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The signatures of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, on the 1783 Treaty of Paris, is seen in original documents from the National Archives’ traveling exhibition, “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation,” at the USC Fisher Museum of Art in Los Angeles on Thursday, April 16, 2026. The show runs from April 17 through May 3. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Los Angeles is the third — and only California — stop in the eight-city tour.
Traveling from city to city aboard a “Freedom Plane”-themed Boeing 737, the exhibition — dubbed the “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” — offers rare access to records normally stored in vaults by the National Archives and Records Administration.
It includes an 1823 engraving of the Declaration of Independence; the 1774 Articles of Association, which urged colonists to boycott British goods; and the 1778 Oaths of Allegiance of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, which all Continental Army officers signed during the Revolutionary War.
Other documents include the 1783 Treaty of Paris signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and John Jay, in which Great Britain formally recognized the U.S. as an independent nation; a draft of the U.S. Constitution with a delegate’s handwritten notes from the 1787 Constitutional Convention; and voting records from that convention, reflecting the debates, resolutions and vote on the final text of the U.S. Constitution.
Last but not least, the exhibition includes a U.S. Senate markup of the Bill of Rights.
USC President Beong-Soo Kim, in an interview this week, said a draft of the Constitution shows the nation’s early leaders debated how they wanted to articulate certain fundamental principles. Despite disagreements, they ultimately found a way to enshrine those basic tenets into the Constitution.
“Conflict and debate are not new to the history of this country,” Kim said, adding that the exhibition is a reminder of shared values, even amid today’s highly polarized political climate.
“My hope is that during a time when there is distrust and disagreement, that people in this country can come away from this exhibit with an appreciation of how much we actually share in our beliefs around freedom and democracy,” Kim said.
Patrick Madden, CEO of the National Archives Foundation, told reporters after the Freedom Plane landed at Van Nuys Airport on Monday that the documents “symbolize the bold declarations of our founding” and are a testament to the nation’s “unyielding pursuit of a more perfect union.”
The exhibition began in Kansas City on March 6 and will end in Seattle on Aug. 16. Other stops along the way include Atlanta, Houston, Denver, Miami and Dearborn, Michigan.
It was inspired by the 1975-76 Freedom Train that traveled to all 48 contiguous states during the country’s bicentennial celebration, carrying artifacts representing the nation’s history.
The only university to host the latest traveling exhibition, USC is prepared to welcome as many as 20,000 visitors during its L.A. run, Kim said.
The Fisher Museum of Art is at 823 Exposition Blvd. in Los Angeles.
Exhibition hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. The show will run through May 3, though it will be closed to the public on April 20 and 27.
Tickets are free, but advance reservations are required.
For information or tickets, visit fisher.usc.edu.