KEARNEY, Neb. — The Trails & Rails Museum is hosting a new national traveling exhibition that explores the birth of modern democracy and the lasting influence of the Declaration of Independence.

The exhibit “Declaration 1776: The Big Bang of Modern Democracy,” comes from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and makes its national debut in Kearney.

Museum officials say the exhibition examines how the Declaration’s ideas reshaped politics in the United States and around the world.

Countries across the world later modeled their own declarations of independence based on the American example.

Trails & Rails Museum Curator Lina Cordia says the museum acted quickly to secure the exhibit. “As soon as I saw that this was a possibility, we reached out immediately and asked if we could be the first to exhibit it,” said Cordia.

She says the exhibition aligns with the museum’s year-long focus on constitutional freedoms as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary.

“We have been planning for the museum’s theme all year to be constitutional freedoms,” said Cordia. “So it really fits well within that theme.”

The exhibit features seven panels that trace the influence of the Declaration from its signing through modern democratic movements.

“Declaration 1776” will remain on display at the Trails & Rails Museum through mid-February.

It serves as the first in a series of exhibits and programs tied to the nationwide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Museum officials encourage visitors to follow the Trails & Rails Museum on social media or visit bchs.us for a full schedule of upcoming exhibits, speakers and events throughout the year.