Emancipation Proclamation Rotunda Display

For the first time since 1952, the National Archives welcome new, permanent document cases in the Rotunda as it unveils the original 1863 Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln. While the Founding Documents—the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights—established the nation’s path during the revolutionary and colonial period, the addition of the Emancipation Proclamation to the Rotunda demonstrates the nation’s continued journey to expand rights to its citizens. Admission: Free.