Inspired by the Bicentennial Freedom Train, the Freedom Plane National Tour will make original documents fundamental to America's founding accessible to Americans across the country as part of the commemoration of America's 250th anniversary.

The Henry Ford is honored to be one of eight institutions in the U.S. hosting The National Archives and Records Administration traveling exhibition.

The exhibition is free to the public. Museum admission is not required.

Visit Tips: As you prepare for your visit to Documents that Forged a Nation, please be aware that these rare national treasures have special display needs. Lighting may be lower than usual in this exhibit to preserve the documents. Food and beverages are welcome while waiting in line but will not be allowed in the display gallery. All lighting must be turned off in the gallery promptly at 5 p.m. We will not be able to offer extended viewing hours. We recommend being in line no later than 4 p.m.

• Original Engraving of the Declaration of Independence, 1823: One of only about 50 known engraved copies of the Declaration of Independence, printed from a copperplate of the original. Commissioned by John Quincy Adams and made by engraver William J. Stone, the engraving captured the size, text, lettering, and signatures of the original document (on loan from David M. Rubenstein).
• Articles of Association, 1774: Signed by all 53 delegates, the Articles of Association urged colonists to boycott British goods and was the Continental Congress's first major unified act of resistance against Britain.
• George Washington's, Alexander Hamilton's, and Aaron Burr's Oaths of Allegiance, 1778: Oaths of Allegiance that all officers of the Continental Army signed during the Revolutionary War.
• Treaty of Paris, 1783: Signed by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay, this Treaty with Great Britain formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.
• Secret Printing of the Constitution in Draft Form, 1787: A rare copy of the U.S. Constitution in draft form, with the delegate's handwritten notes made during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
• Tally of Votes Approving the Constitution, 1787: The voting records of the Constitutional Convention reflecting the debates, resolutions, and eventual vote on the final text that would become the Constitution.
• Senate Markup of the Bill of Rights, 1789: After the Constitution was ratified by the states and became the supreme law of the land, Representative James Madison proposed a series of amendments. Several states advocated for additional protections for individual liberties. This is the U.S. Senate's "markup" of what became the Bill of Rights. On September 25, 1789, Congress passed these 12 amendments, and they were sent to the states for approval. Articles 3 through 12 were ratified in 1791, ensuring such basic American freedoms as the right to freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and freedom of assembly.