NJ State Archives & State Museum Present New Exhibition Exploring Founding Ideals & their Evolution

Trenton, NJ - The New Jersey State Museum, in partnership with the New Jersey State Archives, is pleased to present a new exhibition celebrating both the State of New Jersey's and the United States' 250th anniversary. Entitled The Power to Change: Revolutionary Stories from the New Jersey 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 New Jersey State Museum 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 New Jersey Historical Commission, the New Jersey State Museum Foundation, NJM Insurance Group, and New Jersey 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 - Owning Property and Land; Belonging; Patriotism and Loyalty; Laws in Everyday Life; and Information and News - that encourage visitors to reflect and ask themselves questions such as "How is your life affected by the ideals on which the country and state were established? What's changed? What's stayed the same?"

Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State Dr. Dale G. Caldwell remarked "The 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 'Power to Change' exhibition is both a celebration of American freedoms and an exploration of how citizens' rights have evolved in New Jersey. 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."

According to Joseph R. Klett, Executive Director, New Jersey State Archives, most of these rarely seen objects are from the State Archives collection. "We are thrilled to share these foundational documents with the public and tell the stories of New Jersey's evolution from royal colony to democratic state." Highlights of some of the documents and objects on view include New Jersey's 1664 "birth certificate" - the Duke of York's Grant of New Jersey to John, Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret; New Jersey's State Constitution from 1776; the Ratification of the U.S. Constitution; and the Bill of Rights.

New Jersey State Museum Executive Director Margaret M. O'Reilly noted the relevance of this exhibition for all New Jerseyans. "The State Museum has been honored to partner with the State Archives, our sister agency in the New Jersey 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." Notes O'Reilly, "The Archives and Museum are grateful to the State of New Jersey for supporting this exhibition as part of its RevolutionNJ effort, spearheaded by the New Jersey 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."

About the New Jersey State Museum
The New Jersey 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's 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 New Jersey State Museum is the largest museum collection in the state and encompasses three buildings including a state-of-the-art Planetarium.

About the New Jersey State Archives
The State Archives is New Jersey'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 New Jersey. The State Archives holds records dating from the founding of the British Province of New Jersey in 1664 up to the present.
The State Archives is also the official repository for microfilm of county clerks' and surrogates' records produced by the LDS Church and of film of local newspapers produced by the New Jersey 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 New Jersey State Museum Foundation
The New Jersey 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/New Jersey Historical Commission, New Jersey 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 New Jersey history and culture.