From 1776 to 2026: Pepperdine Libraries Presents Exhibit Celebrating the United States 250th Anniversary

The inked words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident . . .” and those thereafter of the Declaration of Independence brought forth the inception of a new nation on July 4, 1776. Yet behind the establishment of the United States of America lay years of thought, public debate, and written correspondence that formed its foundations. 

To honor the 250th birthday of the United States, Pepperdine Libraries has curated the Michael J. Marlatt Collection of Documents from Colonial America, a collection of primary documents such as newspapers, books, and handwritten letters, all published between the years 1715 and 1781. Each text offers a window into both the intellectual thought and practical day-to-day communications leading up to and during the Revolutionary War. Displayed in Payson Library's Special Collections wing on the Malibu campus, the exhibition will be open throughout the onset of the fall semester for public viewing and supporting classroom instruction. 

"Encountering these original colonial-era documents gives students a rare opportunity to engage directly with the primary sources that shaped America's founding, transforming history from something they read about into something they can experience firsthand,” said dean of Libraries Mark Roosa. “It has been especially rewarding to welcome faculty who have incorporated the exhibition into their summer courses, and we look forward to even more students discovering these remarkable materials when the exhibition continues into the fall semester.” 

Artifacts on display include a London print of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense; a print of George Washington in military dress 1781; Journals of United States Congress from Monday, October 4, to Saturday, October 9, 1779; a Pennsylvania 20 shilling note printed by Benjamin Franklin and David Hall; a print edition of The Boston Chronicle from 1786; various recordings of town meetings; and a Revolutionary War pay order from 1776—a firsthand document that authorized payment to Connecticut troops who fought for the colonies; among others. 

The collection also includes an early biography of George Washington written by John Marshall, the fourth chief justice of the Supreme Court, known for shaping American law by securing the doctrine of judicial review of laws for their constitutionality in his ruling of Marbury v. Madison. 

Commonplace Book of John West Butler (left)

Another primary source of interest is the Commonplace Book of John West Butler. A child growing up in 18th- century Boston, John West Butler used this collection of recorded quotes from Scripture and other seminal texts as a lesson book. He also practiced his penmanship within. The book serves as valuable insight into the moral values considered essential in training citizens of the new American republic.

In sum, the collection intends to celebrate foundational principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness still enduring in the American ethos—while contextualizing the process of becoming an independent nation.  

“From a Christian perspective, happiness is the calling God places upon us, both individually and corporately. This, of course, is how many in the founding generation of Americans understood that famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence, ‘the pursuit of happiness,’ and that there was a right to pursue it, given, logically, by our ‘Creator.’ This foundational view of happiness imbues government and the public policies they form with a certain holy responsibility to guard the freedoms necessary to follow our callings both personal and common,” wrote Pete Peterson, dean of the School of Public Policy, in written commentary accompanying the exhibition’s displays.  

Though sparklers and blue-skied barbeques of the Fourth of July have now passed by on the calendar, members and friends of the Pepperdine community are to keep the spirit of the American semiquincentennial kindled by viewing the Michael J. Marlatt Collection of Documents from Colonial America, throughout the summer. Those outside of Malibu are welcome to view Payson Library’s digital collection.