A new exhibit at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture delves into Virginia’s pivotal role in the American Revolution, including the actions of both famed and often-overlooked Virginians who helped establish a new nation.

“ Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation “ will be on display starting Saturday until Jan. 4, 2026.

“Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation,” will be on display starting Saturday until Jan. 4, 2026.

The opening coincides with the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” speech, a pivotal moment leading to the American Revolution.

The exhibit is the first major show in the nation to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary, according to the museum.

“This is a multi-year, multi-million-dollar effort by the museum to lead the way, both in Virginia and nationally,” said Jamie Bosket, President and CEO. “Virginia should be first, and we should lead the way with thoughtful content.”

The VMHC partnered with the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation to develop “Give Me Liberty.” It is presented by VA250, Virginia’s semiquincentennial planning commission.

The VMHC partnered with the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation to develop “Give Me Liberty.” It is presented by VA250 , Virginia’s semiquincentennial planning commission.

“Since 2018, we have been convening leaders across the Commonwealth and beyond to help think about how do we do this? How do we mark this milestone moment for America and serve as many people as possible and bring people together at a time we probably need it the most?,” Bosket said.

The exhibit is divided into five sections: “Protest to Action,” “Words to Action,” “Liberty in Action,” “Virginia in Action” and “A Call to Action: Our Living American Revolution of Ideas.”

It’s filled with symbolic objects like reproductions of Thomas Jefferson’s writing desk, the House of Burgesses Speaker’s Chair and “The Belt that Would Not Burn.”

The exhibit’s opening coincides with the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” speech, a pivotal moment leading to the American Revolution.

“The original belt that would not burn was owned by a Cherokee woman who became important in her tribe as a result of picking up a musket in an important battle. Her house was burned by another band of Cherokee, who wanted to support the British. The house was burned, but the belt survived,” said Andrew Talkhov, senior director of curatorial affairs.

At its entrance up against a bold red wall, Charles Willson Peale’s portrait of George Washington as a colonel in the Virginia Regiment is showcased alongside his silver-hilted smallsword worn during the French and Indian War.

“These are things that have not been together, often, if not for decades and decades. So it’s really interesting to see these pieces coming together,” Bosket said.

At its entrance up against a bold red wall, Charles Willson Peale’s portrait of George Washington as Colonel in the Virginia Regiment is showcased along side his silver-hilted smallsword worn during the French and Indian War.

Another coupling of artifacts is the letter opener that Patrick Henry waved during his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech alongside his eyeglasses.

“One of the things about Patrick Henry is that he was incredibly dramatic as a speaker and it was often said by people who observed him that when Patrick Henry was ready to unleash on you, he would push his glasses to the top of his wig,” Talkhov said.

“Give Me Liberty” presents familiar names like the Founding Fathers, but it also presents artifacts that emphasize lesser known yet essential contributions of Virginians.

“Clementina Rind is one of my favorite stories. She lived in Williamsburg and was running a print press that published some of Jefferson’s most fiery rhetoric. And while we know of his contributions, we don’t often hear about her contributions and actually disseminating the word, and this was a big deal for a woman to own her own business and to be running this print shop,” Bosket said.

“Give Me Liberty” presents familiar names like the Founding Fathers, but it also presents artifacts that emphasize lesser known yet essential contributions of Virginians.

Along the exhibit walls, there are plenty of audio and visual aspects of storytelling. One feature shows the places where news was spread: a print shop and a tavern.

“When printed material is issued, and when people gather, they start to talk about the issues of the day. And just like a bar today, where people are watching the TV and talking about the news of the day and what they think about it, it was in taverns that information was spread, but you didn’t have to subscribe to a newspaper to get the news, because people would read the newspaper publicly. People would get it at home, and they would read it to their families. They would read them in public gatherings and in taverns. So this was really a place where people started to shape their ideas,” Talkhov said.

The VMHC will be hosting various events to celebrate the 250th anniversary including the Revolution Revisited Podcast which features experts offering a crash course on the nation’s founding and IllumiNATION starting June of next year which will bring a nightly block party to the museum’s lawn as a video projection illuminates the museum’s block-long historic facade.

“The exhibit itself is a sweeping narrative. It doesn’t just start in 1776. It brings you into the context of what’s happening in the decade leading up to the Declaration of Independence. And it does a very nice job of connecting the dots to today. This is more about world changing ideas than just a point in time. This is more about an American journey than just a war,” Bosket said.

The exhibit is the first major show in the nation to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary.

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