Records of Rights
Explore how generations of Americans sought to fulfill the promise of the founding documents. The David M. Rubenstein Gallery exhibition showcases original and facsimile National Archives documents and uses an innovative 17-foot-long touch-screen interactive table to illustrate how Americans have debated about and fought for rights like free speech, religion, and equality.
The rights and freedoms embodied in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights did not initially apply to all Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. described them as "a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir." For generations, various groups have struggled to "cash that check." "Records of Rights" showcases documents from the holdings of the National Archives to illustrate how Americans have endeavored to define, secure, and protect their rights.
Begin your exploration of "Records of Rights" by viewing an original 1297 Magna Carta, on display courtesy of David M. Rubenstein. Continue exploring the gallery to learn more about the ongoing struggle of Americans to define, attain, and protect their rights.
Landmark Document
As you journey through the "Records of Rights" exhibition, stop at the Landmark Document exhibition case, which features a 1790 broadside copy of the Bill of Rights. This broadside copy of the joint resolution proposing 12 amendments to the Constitution was published in New Hampshire, the fifth state to ratify the Bill of Rights on January 25, 1790. Virginia took the total over the three-fourths threshold with its ratification on December 15, 1791. Ten of the 12 proposed amendments were then appended to the Constitution.