NEWSLETTER
Last chance to see exhibition features a rare first-edition copy of the U.S. Constitution on loan from Kenneth C. Griffin
New York, N.Y. (September 1, 2026) - South Street Seaport Museum’s landmark exhibition, The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation, which features rare and historical documents in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, will close on September 27. Get $10 tickets to see the exhibition before it closes at seaportmuseum.org/promise-of-
The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation
On View Wednesday–Sunday | Closing September 27 | 213 Water Street | $10
In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, come experience this full-floor exhibition in the historic 1868 A.A. Thomson & Co. building and journey through the nation’s founding ideas—tracing how they have evolved over time through rare defining documents and pivotal moments in history. If the United States has a mission statement, it was written 250 years ago in the Declaration of Independence: “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” As you explore the fascinating and unique exhibition, you will see how this promise—established in 1776—was never fully realized and remains an aspiration we continue to pursue today.
Throughout the gallery, you will encounter some of the nation’s most iconic 18th century documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Alongside these are exceptional handwritten pages from an undelivered inaugural address by George Washington, as well as remarkable 19th and 20th century treasures such as the Emancipation Proclamation and an advance copy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “March on Washington” speech. In it, King describes the Declaration of Independence and Constitution as “a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” Together, these extraordinary artifacts reveal how the pursuit of freedom has been redefined across generations.
Through rarely-seen documents and ephemera, you will discover pivotal moments that pushed the nation closer to equality—from the fight for religious freedom and the abolition of slavery to the movement for women’s suffrage. Extraordinary pamphlets and treaties, one-of-a-kind personal correspondence from notable historical figures, striking broadsides, and first printings of landmark texts bring these pivotal episodes to life and connect you to the people who shaped them.
In the following sections, you will also experience how New York played a central role in this history. As the nation’s first capital and a major port and printing hub, Lower Manhattan was a place of rapid growth, cultural exchange, and political importance. You will see how printers helped shape public discourse, solidifying freedom of the press, and how news and ideas traveled through early America with historic typefaces, compelling broadsides, and a working printing press, offering a glimpse into this dynamic world.
This exhibition offers the unique opportunity to experience the ongoing story of a nation shaped by words—where ideals have been tested, expanded, and reimagined over centuries.
More About the Exhibition
Housed within the A.A. Thomson & Co. warehouse—a historical artifact in its own right—The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation showcases objects on loan as well as from the expansive collections and archives of the South Street Seaport Museum.
Additional highlights of the exhibition include exceptionally rare artifacts, including:
- A 1765 recounting of the landmark trial of John Peter Zenger, whose acquittal helped affirm the principle of freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
- The influential 1776 pamphlet Common Sense by Thomas Paine, which rejected monarchy and made a powerful case for independence.
- Eye-catching engravings commemorating George Washington’s 1789 inauguration, including one of his boat parade across New York Harbor to City Hall.
- The 1790 The Gazette of the United States publication of the Treaties of Hopewell, including the Choctaw treaty that ceded 69,120 acres in exchange for U.S. protection.
- An outstanding first edition of Frederick Douglass’s 1855 autobiography, My Bondage and My Freedom, including a significant part of his speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
- A one-of-a-kind collection of broadsides and ephemera documenting the struggle for women's voting rights from 1914 to 1918.
- A unique signed and inscribed 1937 press release for a speech commemorating the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Acknowledgements
The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation is organized in cooperation with Sail4th 250 and made possible through the generous support of Citadel founder and CEO Kenneth C. Griffin and his civic engagement initiative Griffin Catalyst.
The exhibition is curated by Seth Kaller and the South Street Seaport Museum. The Promise of Liberty: Words that Shaped a Nation is a companion exhibition of The Promise of Liberty at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Special thanks to William B. Roka.
Additional support for this exhibition and Sail4th 250 is provided by Bulova and Jefferson’s Bourbon.
The South Street Seaport Museum’s work is supported, in part, by public funds from New York State Council on the Arts, with support from Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
About A.A. Thomson & Co.
This Italianate cast iron and stone warehouse, located at 213 Water Street, was designed by the renowned New York City architect Stephen D. Hatch (1839–1894) in 1868 for Alexander and William A. Thomson of A.A. Thomson & Co.. Before the structure was built, this lot was occupied by two three-story buildings, originally part of a 1750 water lot grant, on what would have been considered one of the principal streets in New York City.
Working with the celebrated preservation architecture firm Beyer Blinder Belle, the Seaport Museum recently transformed the historic 12,000-square-foot warehouse into a large-scale exhibition space, a hub for engaging educational programming, and a gathering space for the community. seaportmuseum.org/thomson
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
The Promise of Liberty: Words That Shaped a Nation requires a special ticket. With the opening of Promise of Liberty, the Seaport Museum will transition to a Summer General Admission schedule of Wednesday–Sunday, from 11am–5pm. Adding a General Admission ticket to your special Promise of Liberty ticket will bring you aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16, and into all additional current exhibitions on view. This includes Maritime City, the immersive exhibition that spans the first three floors of A.A. Thomson & Co. and the two exhibitions on view in the first-floor Schermerhorn Row galleries at 12 Fulton Street. seaportmuseum.org/admission
About Sail4th 250
Sail4th 250 is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and the successor to Operation Sail, Inc.—the organization President Kennedy endorsed in 1961 to use spectacular tall ship gatherings to "promote international friendship, maritime heritage, and support for sail training." Operation Sail produced landmark events in the Port of New York and New Jersey in 1964, 1976, 1986, 1992, 2000, and 2012, including the legendary Bicentennial gathering that drew six million New Yorkers to the region on July 4, 1976.
For America's 250th anniversary, on July 4, 2026, Sail4th 250 will host an International Parade of Sail alongside an International Naval Review 250 (INR250), creating the largest maritime gathering in U.S. history. 48 tall ships from 22 nations, joined by allied naval vessels, will represent 46 countries in total in New York Harbor. The visiting tall ships serve as floating classrooms and goodwill ambassadors. They will be open for free public visitation from July 5–7 at berths situated in and around the harbor.
Sail4th 250 is part of Sail250®, a consortium of five U.S. coastal cities, including New Orleans, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York, and Boston, playing host to the tall ships for America’s Semiquincentennial. sail4th.org
About Griffin Catalyst
Griffin Catalyst is the civic engagement initiative of Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin, encompassing his philanthropic and community impact efforts. Tackling the world’s greatest challenges in innovative, action-oriented, and evidence-driven ways, Griffin Catalyst is dedicated to expanding opportunity and improving lives across six areas of focus: Education, Science & Medicine, Upward Mobility, Freedom & Democracy, Enterprise & Innovation, and Communities. griffincatalyst.org
About the South Street Seaport Museum
The South Street Seaport Museum, located in the heart of the historic seaport district in New York City, preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city. Founded in 1967, the Museum houses an extensive collection of works of art and artifacts, a maritime reference library, exhibition galleries and education spaces, working 19th century print shops, and an active fleet of historic vessels that all work to tell the story of “Where New York Begins.” seaportmuseum.org
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