Geary County Historical Society
Junction City, KS – Geary County Historical Society will host “Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy,” a traveling exhibition from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, from August 1, 2026-August 30,2026, will be at the Geary County Historical Society Museum, 530 N. Adams Junction City. The Kansas tour of “Declaration 1776” is presented by Humanities Kansas.
When the Declaration of Independence was issued, the idea that “all men are created equal” was revolutionary. With this seminal document, the Founding Fathers unleashed an open-ended driving force that would shape modern history. Around the world, other countries have declared independence taking the US Declaration of 1776 as a model. “Declaration 1776” uses primary sources to illustrate how Americans and people across the world have been inspired by the Declaration in their pursuit of equality and self-determination. The Kansas “Declaration 1776” traveling exhibition includes a section called “Kansas 1776,” which looks at what was happening on the land that would become the state of Kansas 250 years ago.
Other related programming scheduled for 2026 includes the annual Kansas Day celebration at the Historical Society in January, related STEAM Saturday and Hands on History topics throughout the year, History Alive. reenactment weekend filled with even more encampments than ever before, and a new cooking program: History From Scratch.
“‘Declaration 1776’ is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to for Kansas communities to participate in the national commemoration of America’s 250th right in their own hometowns,” said Julie Mulvihill, Humanities Kansas executive director.
Geary County Historical Society is one of 46 Kansas venues hosting “Declaration 1776” in 2026. For a full schedule of locations and dates, visit humanitieskansas.org.
The “Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy” traveling exhibition is made possible in Kansas with support from the Kansas Arts Commission and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.