PRINCETON NJ Announcement

A Landmark Exhibition Opens Sunday @Morven

Five Independent Souls: The Signers from New Jersey examines the lives, ideals, and contradictions of the Declaration's New Jersey Signers—

Abraham Clark, John Hart, Francis Hopkinson, Richard Stockton, and John Witherspoon— through art, letters, and other artifacts, including items not usually on display to the public.

Some of the many unusual and interesting objects include a lock of John Hart's hair; John Witherspoon's tall case clock c.1760; the first American Bible dedicated "to the Readers" instead of "King James;" a flirtatious letter from George Washington to Annis Boudinot Stockton; and the August 1776 London magazine containing the full text of the Declaration, announcing the news to British readers.

Plus, original artwork by Charles Willson Peale, Rembrandt Peale, and other renowned Revolutionary artists.

The exhibition asks what the signers were like before, during, and after the Revolution. And who were the people they enslaved while espousing the ideals of freedom, equality, and liberty?  Visitors can learn about these subjugated men, women, and children, as well as the impact of American independence on New Jersey's indigenous population.

In addition, Five Independent Souls highlights that the decision to separate from Great Britain was not a foregone conclusion, and that the resulting conflict was also a civil war. It illustrates New Jersey's vital role in passing the resolution for American independence, and Princeton's central role in achieving victory.

On view Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Only through January 17, 2027.

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