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In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, a plane will showcase rare documents from our nation’s founding, giving Americans the opportunity to “experience” history right before their eyes.
The National Archives and Records Administration and National Archives Foundation (NAF) announced this week that the documents will be traveling in a Boeing 737 dubbed the Freedom Plane.
The Freedom Plane will travel to eight different cities starting in March and concluding at the end of August. The cities are Kansas City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, Miami, Dearborn and Seattle.
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On the plane will be the original engraving of the Declaration of Independence in 1823 — one of only about 50 known engraved copies.
The document was commissioned by John Quincy Adams and was made by engraver William J. Stone, according to NAF.
The Articles of Association of 1774 was signed by all 53 delegates urging colonists to boycott British goods, marking the Continental Congress’s first protest against Britain.
This document will be on the plane as well.
Oaths of Allegiance signed by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr during the Revolutionary War in 1778 are included as well.
Also traveling is a rare copy of a Constitution draft that has the delegates’ handwritten notes made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
The last document on the plane is the Tally of Votes Approving the Constitution from 1787.
The document tracked the voting record of the Constitutional Convention, marking debates, resolutions and the vote on the final Constitution text.
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Jim Byron, senior advisor to the Archivist of the United States, said at a press conference that Americans can “bear witness to the people and principals that shaped our nation.”
“There is no more noteworthy an occasion than America’s 250th birthday to share this history — to inspire our fellow Americans to champion our nation’s founding ideals into the future,” said Byron.
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Rodney Slater, chair and president of the National Archives Foundation’s board of directors, added, “The Freedom Plane National Tour underscores that the rich history of our nation belongs to all of us, not just those Americans living in or visiting Washington, DC.”
Each exhibit is free and has different capacities — but there will be no limitation on the number of people who can view the exhibit.
A spokesperson told Fox News Digital that “if a venue is at capacity, you may have to wait in line. Our goal is for as many Americans as possible to see these documents.”
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The Freedom Plane will launch from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in D.C. on March 3 to embark on its first stop in Kansas City.
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