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How the National Archives preserves the world's most famous breakup letter

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published February 23, 2026 at 12:00 PM EST

The original United States Declaration of Independence on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy of National Archives)

This year, the United States marks 250 years since its founding, a milestone that started with a breakup letter. The list of grievances from the colonies to the British Crown eventually became a founding document and the blueprint for American democracy.

Here & Now‘s Indira Lakshmanan visits the Declaration of Independence in its high-tech display case at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., and talks with historian Jessie Kratz and museum visitors about what the worn document means today.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.