Moments that Made US

Along with Washington State Parks, JCHS is excited to be co-hosting Moments That Made US, a special panel exhibition during the America 250 commemoration that explores how generations of Americans have given meaning to the ideals set out in the Declaration of Independence.

The exhibition looks back across centuries and highlights both challenging and celebratory times from the colonial era to more recent generations. The interpretive panels explore multiple themes drawn directly from the Declaration of Independence: Created Equal; Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness; Free and Independent States; Consent of the Governed; and We Mutually Pledge. The featured moments from American history inspire curiosity about the events that shaped the nation. They remind us that our story was never inevitable, we shaped it at every turn.

The exhibition was developed through a multi-state collaboration to ensure that Americans throughout the nation would have the opportunity to meaningfully engage in the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Visit Moments that Made Us at three sites: JCHS’s Museum of Art + History, Commanding Officers Quarters at Fort Worden, and the Fort Flagler Museum. The exhibit opens on August 8, which is statewide Museum Day, where these sites and more than 100 other museums across Washington State will open their doors at free or reduced rates. 

Visit www.jchsmuseum.org or https://parks.wa.gov for more information.

Exhibition Dates: August 1 – September 06, 2026

Location: JCHS Museum of Art + History