Behind "The Declaration's Journey": Julia Gaffield

An exhibition like The Declaration’s Journey, presented by Griffin Catalyst, is a massive undertaking, with its story spanning nearly two and a half centuries and multiple continents across the globe as it tracks the influence of the Declaration of Independence from its creation in 1776 to today. In addition to Museum staff and many lenders and institutions around the world, a scholarly committee was assembled to help shape the story of the exhibition. Guest Lead Curator Philip C. Mead assembled this scholarly committee which was funded via grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The committee met periodically to review the exhibit plans and script and offer improvements to reflect the latest scholarship on the Declaration. The committee members represented institutions such as Harvard University, Princeton University, and George Mason University. 

One member of the committee was Dr. Julia Gaffield, an Associate Professor of History at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Dr. Gaffield has written extensively on the history of Haiti and the Haitian Revolution, including I Have Avenged America: Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Haiti’s Fight for Freedom, which was published in June 2025.  

When asked about working on The Declaration’s Journey, she said that she most enjoyed “that academic scholarship would be translated into a narrative for a public audience of all ages.” She found the work to be educational for herself as well. 

“It was an illuminating experience! I had no idea what it took to put an exhibit together,” she said. “I was surprised by the process of figuring out how to use a limited space to showcase a large number and wide variety of items. I was also surprised by the emphasis placed on the broader narrative of the exhibit. That crafting an argument was as essential as displaying items.”  

There is both a broader narrative and a wide variety of items on display in The Declaration’s Journey, telling the stories of individuals, movements, and countries, but also of a greater striving for equality and freedom that is not limited to a particular time and place. As Dr. Gaffield put it, “I hope that guests think about the broader world of the 1776 Declaration and the diverse legacies of the document. I hope that they rethink the meaning of the words ‘liberty’ and ‘equality’ in the 18th century and in the 21st century.”