1776 Across the Americas: A Hemispheric History from the Collections of the John Carter Brown Library

The John Carter Brown Library is pleased to announce a year-long exhibition titled "1776 Across the Americas: A Hemispheric History from the Collections of the John Carter Brown Library." The exhibition is now on display in the Bromsen Room at the Library and is open to the public during regular Reading Room hours. The John Carter Brown Library's Reading Room is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., and Friday from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Curated by Beatrice and Julio Mario Santo Domingo Director and Librarian Karin Wulf and JCB 2026 Postdoc Program Coordinator Kathleen Telling, the exhibition is part of the initiative 2026 and Beyond at the JCB, which focuses on three major themes that reflect the deep strength of the Library's collections and research and reveal the fullest and most consequential histories of the early Americas: Foundations of Revolution: The Democratic Revolutions of the Early Americas; Foundations of Democracy: Freedom of Religion and Conscience; Foundations of Historical Knowledge: How Libraries Make History. In regard to the exhibition, the curators explain that, "The John Carter Brown Library's collections cannot represent a comprehensive or holistic perspective on 1776 in any one place, not least the full hemisphere.

But the collections of the JCB provide a unique vantage on how largely printed materials– from books and pamphlets to broadsides and maps– were produced in that year and reflected diverse experiences.Throughout this exhibit, items of intimate and local consequence are juxtaposed with those of imperial, national and international significance and tell the story of 1776 across the Americas through our remarkable collections." The exhibition opened on January 30, 2026 and will remain open until the end of the calendar year. We very much hope that you will view it either in person or online when the digital version becomes available!

For more information, visit us at jcblibrary.org (http://jcblibrary.org).