Armagh Robinson Library in Northern Ireland is marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence with a new exhibition, United States of America : The Road to Independence.

Armagh Robinson Library interior (photo credit: Brian Mason)

The library welcomed US Consul General James Applegate to launch the exhibition with representatives from the library’s governors and guardians, as well as the library’s volunteers who were present at the launch in support.

On display to the public up to and including Independence Day, 4th July, the exhibition is compiled entirely from the library’s own collection and follows a timeline from 40,000 years ago up to 1917, when the last territory was added to the United States of America. The exhibition shows the history of human habitation of that part of the world, the impact of early migration and exploration, African slavery in the colonies, and the creation of the Declaration of Independence.

US Consul General James Applegate launches the exhibition

Armagh Robinson Library is the oldest public library in Northern Ireland, founded in 1771 by Archbishop Richard Robinson. When Archbishop Robinson set up the library, he also paid for approximately 8,000 books to start the collection and they include some of the books now on display in the exhibition. This includes Northern Antiquities or a Description of the Manners, Customs, Religion and Laws of the Ancient Danes, and other Northern Nations (1770) by the Swiss writer and historian, Paul Henri Mallen, in which he records that the first Europeans to see continental North America were Icelanders.

Another work, A new geographical and historical grammar: Wherein the geographical part is truly modern (1745), by the English historical and geographical writer, Thomas Salmon, gives a summary of the settlement history of the region around present-day New York, via the Swedes, the Dutch and the English. Also on display is a copy of the pamphlet Protest Against the Bill to Repeal the American Stamp Act, of Last Session which was prepared by Lord Lyttelton and signed by 33 minority members of the House of Lords in 1766.

Armagh Robinson Library was founded in 1771

Speaking ahead of the exhibition launch, the US Consul General said: “Armagh Robinson Library opened five years before the Declaration of Independence was adopted by our Thirteen Colonies and the birth of the American republic occurred during the Georgian transformation of Ireland’s ecclesiastical capital.

“The library stands as a lasting monument to our Enlightenment ideals. Through its preservation of transatlantic texts and early printed works, it safeguards sources that illuminate the foundations of American history and independence.”

The Keeper of the Library, the Very Revd Shane Forster, added: “As the United States marks the semi-quincentennial of its Declaration of Independence, we are delighted to put on display some items from the library collection that catalogue significant events that shaped 18th century America. The exhibition will be on display to the public up to and including Independence Day, 4th July.”

If you or your group would like to enjoy a visit to Armagh Robinson Library to see the new exhibition, United States of America : The Road to Independence, on a tailor-made tour of Northern Ireland, please do contact our friendly team today. Or perhaps you would like to enjoy a tour discovering the UK and Ireland through archives and manuscripts. If so, we can help!