Road to Revolution
Road to Revolution is a rotating exhibition series highlighting National Archives records that document major milestones and critical historical context to the American Revolution, the Revolutionary War, and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
Augmenting the well-known sequence of events in the two years preceding July 4, 1776, are displays that focus on the diverse experiences and perspectives for members of the Founding generation whose stories are less well known—including Native Americans, free and enslaved African Americans, and women.
Collectively Road to Revolution reveals that the journey from colonial resistance and rebellion to American revolution and independence is not composed of a single narrative but a story of many intersecting (and diverging) paths in the universal pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.
Annotated Map of the British Colonies in North America with the Roads, Distances, Limits and Extent of the Settlements, ca. 1775. Records of Boundary and Claims Commissions and Arbitrations (Click to view in the National Archives Catalog)
Currently on View: The Olive Branch Petition
June 23 – September 24, 2025
Though a state of war existed between the British Empire and its American colonies many, if not most, colonists still wished for peace. In an attempt at reconciliation, Congress pledged American loyalty to King George III in its Olive Branch Petition. In return, the King proclaimed every rebel a traitor. Great Britain’s refusal to negotiate raised the stakes for revolutionaries and strengthened colonial support for independence.
View the full rotating schedule as well as past virtual exhibits here.
Road to Revolution is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation, through the generous support of Comcast Corporation, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble.