In this episode we explore the Revolution 250 exhibit at The National Archives in Kew, from 24 June 2026 to 29 November 2026:

Revolution 250 America's Independence Story 1763–1783 Britain and America. One Story, Two Nations

Topics include the following:

-the story of the distribution of the Declaration first around the Colonies and then around the world

-a description of the National Archive's collection of early prints of the Declaration, including the extremely rare Dunlap Broadsides

-the fascinating stories of how these prints arrived in London, enclosed in letters from various British officials in the Colonies, such as Admiral Richard Howe and General William Howe

-an overview of the historical scope of the exhibition from 1763 to 1783

-the practicalities of preserving, sorting, and storing records in the National Archives

-the importance of intelligence gathering by Imperial officials in the Colonies, including the interception of letters and the creation of lists of likely rebels and loyalists

-an overview of the intercepted letters at the exhibition and an assessment of the British intelligence operation during the run up to the war and the war itself

-the Parliamentary debate in Britain in 1778 about the substance of the complaints in the Declaration of Independence

-the experience of indigenous people and enslaved people during this period

The cover image features a Dunlap broadside, printed in Philadelphia on the night of the 4th of July 1776.