Temporarily on loan from the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C., Woodrow Wilson signed Presidential Proclamation 1364 concerning the Declaration of War against Germany on April 6, 1917.
The document joins many rarely-seen objects in the exhibition Revolutions! 1917, which focuses on the revolutions—political and cultural— that left their mark on 1917 and the war still raging worldwide. Wilson's war proclamation has not been on exhibit to the public in more than 50 years.
“When people think of a revolution occurring in 1917, the focus tends to be on Russia, but the reality is that there were revolutions taking place throughout the world,” said National WWI Museum and Memorial Senior Curator Doran Cart. “In Revolutions! 1917, we’re able to explore not only the Russian revolution, but the other pivotal revolutions that helped shape the world we live in today.”
According to Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero, “The National Archives is pleased to loan President Wilson's original war proclamation to the National WWI Museum and Memorial, and to partner with the Museum and Memorial for this special exhibition.”
The proclamation will be on view at the Museum and Memorial through Sept. 21, 2017.