Topic: The Declaration’s Journey: 250 Years of America’s Founding Document
When: Tuesday 8/25/2026 at 2:00 pm ET
When the United States declared its independence in 1776, the world was watching—and listening. In this episode of Constitutional Chats, we are taking a look at “The Declaration’s Journey,” but this isn’t a story about where the physical parchment traveled. It is the story of how America’s founding ideals went global.
We are thrilled to be joined by Matthew Skic from the Museum of the American Revolution to give us a sneak peek into their landmark 250th-anniversary exhibition. We will explore how the U.S. Declaration of Independence became one of the most influential political documents in modern history, with more than 100 nations having integrated its ideals into their own rights and independence movements.
What we will discuss:
• How the words of 1776 influenced rights and independence movements in places like France, Haiti, Latin America, Asia, and beyond.
• The profound legacy of the Declaration’s language here in the United States.
• An exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the Museum of the American Revolution’s upcoming scholarly conference inspired by The Declaration’s Journey.
Reserve your spot today to join this fascinating global conversation!
Constitutional Chats are hosted by Janine Turner, Cathy Gillespie, student ambassadors, and experts who join us weekly to discuss hot-topic issues! The audience is not on camera, but you may ask questions!
Meet Our Guest: Matthew Skic, of the Museum of the American Revolution
As Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, I am part of a team that is seeking to transform the ways people engage with America’s revolutionary history and our nation’s ongoing experiment in liberty, equality, and self-government. I joined the staff in June 2016 and have helped to raise the profile of this young institution located in the heart of historic Philadelphia.
Growing up in central New Jersey, I developed a lasting passion for the history of Colonial America and the early United States. In high school, I began working as an historical interpreter at Washington Crossing State Park in New Jersey.
My undergraduate studies led me to American University in Washington, DC, where I earned my B.A. in History. As an undergraduate, I completed two internships at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. In 2014, I was awarded a fellowship to attend the distinguished Winterthur Program in American Material Culture at the University of Delaware. I graduated with my M.A. in American Material Culture in 2016 after completing my thesis about Philadelphia’s gunsmiths during the Revolutionary War.
I joined the Board of Directors of the Swan Historical Foundation in 2021. As a trustee, I help to steward a collection of artifacts from the American Revolutionary era on display at Washington Crossing State Park.
During the summer of 2022, I was awarded a scholarship to attend the Attingham Trust’s Summer School, which gave me the opportunity to study British country estates and their collections.
In 2024, I launched the project “Written with Bricks: A Guide to New Jersey’s Pattern Brick Architecture.” As Project Director, I am working to raise awareness of and build appreciation for New Jersey’s distinctive historic pattern brick architecture, highlighting buildings with the initials of their original owners and/or their dates of construction spelled out with bricks.
Apart from my professional and educational experiences, I am passionate about living history and baseball.