Trending Now - Founding Documents Embark on Nationwide Tour for 250th Anniversary
WHO:
Monica Crowley, chief of protocol of the US
Jim Byron, senior adviser to the acting archivist of the United States
Joe Seymour, Boeing pilot
Matt Naylor, president and CEO of the National World War I Museum and Memorial
President Trump
WHAT:
The Freedom Plane, a Boeing 737-7BC, is transporting several founding documents across the United States.
The documents include:
An original engraving of the Declaration of Independence (printed in 1823)
Oaths of Allegiance signed in 1778 by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and other officers of the Continental Army
The 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution
A rare draft copy of the U.S. Constitution with handwritten notes by delegates
The tour is part of the 250th anniversary commemoration of the United States, celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
The documents will be displayed for free at local museums in eight cities through August 2026.
WHERE:
The Freedom Plane took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
First stop: Kansas City, Missouri, at the National WWI Museum and Memorial.
Other planned stops include Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, Miami, Dearborn (a suburb of Detroit), and Seattle.
WHEN:
The Freedom Plane took off on Monday, March 2, 2026.
The documents will be on display in Kansas City starting on Friday, March 6, 2026.
The tour will continue through August 2026.
WHY:
The initiative aims to bring American history to life and celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary.
The documents are typically housed in secured vaults and rarely moved, making this tour a unique opportunity for public access.
HOW:
The Freedom Plane is a modernized homage to the Freedom Train of 1976.
The tour is coordinated by America 250, a congressionally chartered commission, and a White House-led initiative called Freedom 250.
Local schools have already booked visits for over 5,000 schoolchildren to see the documents.
The Freedom Plane, a Boeing 737-7BC, took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Monday, March 2, 2026, carrying several founding documents across the United States as part of the 250th anniversary commemoration of the nation. Among the treasures on board are an original engraving of the Declaration of Independence, oaths signed by George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, the 1783 Treaty of Paris, and a rare draft copy of the U.S. Constitution, all set to be displayed for free at local museums in eight cities, starting with Kansas City on Friday, March 6. This initiative, coordinated by America 250 and the White House-led Freedom 250, aims to bring American history to life, with over 5,000 schoolchildren already scheduled to visit and experience these historical documents.