Image courtesy of Library of Congress
The Two Georges opens March 28 at the Library of Congress.
Our understanding of George Washington and King George III of Britain is clouded by myths that have accumulated over centuries. A new exhibition opening March 28 at the Library of Congress seeks to reveal the real men behind the myths.
While George III and Washington never met during their lifetimes, “The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution” brings them together for the first time through their letters, ledgers, diaries, maps, drawings, and more. The exhibition invites visitors to get to know the two Georges in their own words and discover their surprising similarities.
“The Two Georges” opens in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C., and kicks off the Library’s America 250 celebration, marking the 250th anniversary of American independence in 1776. The exhibition will be on view through March 21, 2026. A companion exhibition will open at the Science Museum in London in 2026.
“‘The Two Georges’ is a special exhibition that will bring George Washington and King George III together for the first time through their writings and tell the compelling story of these leaders before, during and after the American Revolution,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “Over the past 10 years, the Library of Congress has been proud to collaborate with Royal Collection Trust, the Science Museum in London and other archives to develop this unique exhibition.”
The exhibition will explore the two Georges’ shared British beginnings, the American Revolution, their roles as president and king, and the distinctive way that each understood the wielding of power.
More than 100 items are on view in the exhibition. Additional items will be rotated into the exhibition at the halfway mark.
“The Two Georges” features objects and images from the Library of Congress, the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle, the Royal Collection, the Science Museum Group, the Maine Historical Society, the Museums at Washington & Lee University and George Washington’s Mount Vernon, among other repositories.
Highlights of the Exhibition Include:
· Boycotting British Goods – Washington helped lead an effort to protest taxes being imposed on Americans by boycotting British imported goods. Washington signed this 1770 “nonimportation” agreement as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and he wrote out a pledge for his constituents to sign.
· Washington’s commission to command the Continental Army, signed by John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, and Charles Thomson, secretary, June 19, 1775. The document is a national treasure of the Library of Congress.
· Secret Codes for Washington’s Spies – In 1778, Washington set up a spy network around New York City, then occupied by the British. A spy ring code book shows how the spies were identified. “Culper” was the name adopted by Abraham Woodhull (“Samuel Culper”) and Robert Townsend (“Samuel Culper Jr.”). Benjamin Talmadge (“John Bolton”), who ran the ring, devised the numerical codes in this book. The Culper spies used this code to report on the movements of British ships and troops. One page shows Washington identified as “711.”
· Science and agriculture were passionate interests for both Washington and King George III. A model of the universe consisting of intersecting circular rings that was made for George III’s father, Frederick, Prince of Wales, later owned by George III, and now cared for by the Science Museum Group as part of the George III Collection, will be included. Both Washington and George III also owned copies of English naturalist Mark Catesby’s book, “The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands” from 1754.
· Women and Politics – In George III’s Britain, as in Washington’s America, women could neither vote nor hold office. But they did participate in politics as bearers of news, wielders of influence, and hostesses of social events. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, was notorious for her public participation in political campaigns. She supported the Whigs, the King’s political opponents. A cartoon shows her holding a fox meant to represent the Whig leader Charles James Fox.
· In a 1797 letter to her husband, Queen Charlotte complains about the public appearances she had to make, including promenades on the terrace at Windsor Castle. “We live in a Constant Bustle,” she wrote, “I may now begin to feel the consequences of that life.”
· After the American Revolution, and in the chaos that ensued in his government, George III considered abdicating. He wrote a note, which he never sent, as the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War was being finalized. “I am therefore resolved to resign My Crown,” he wrote. The document is lent by His Majesty King Charles III from the Royal Archives.
· “You’ll Be Back” – King George III expressed his determination to crush the rebellion in a speech to Parliament in 1775. He said the time had come “to put a speedy end to these disorders.” He promised that if any of those “misled” should become “sensible of their error,” he would receive them back “with tenderness and mercy!” Editions of this broadside were published in New York and Philadelphia – and these sentiments have become famous in Broadway’s “Hamilton.”
· Washington’s copy of the Declaration of Independence – As president of the Continental Congress, John Hancock sent Washington the first printing of the Declaration of Independence in July 1776 – and Washington had it read aloud to the assembled troops in New York.
· Washington’s notes on the draft Constitution when he served as president of the Constitutional Convention, which met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to draft a federal constitution. Near the end of the convention a committee of delegates had a draft printed, and each delegate received a copy. Washington’s copy, on view in the exhibition, includes the notes he made, probably as he was sitting in Carpenter’s Hall with his fellow delegates discussing the text.
A companion book, “The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution,” will be published in March by the Library of Congress and distributed by the University of North Carolina Press. The book will be available in hardcover and paperback in bookstores, online, and the Library of Congress Shop.
“The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution” is made possible by support from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, Beverly L. Hamilton, HISTORY ®, The Estate of Leonard and Elaine Silverstein, Dr. Scholl Foundation, FTS International, and the late Albert H. Small.
The Library of Congress thanks His Majesty King Charles III and the Science Museum Group for their assistance with this exhibition.
About the Royal Archives
The Royal Archives, based in the Round Tower at Windsor Castle, is the repository of the official and personal archives of the Sovereign and of Members of the Royal Family. The archives comprise over 12 million items dating from the Tudor period to the present day and can be explored online at https://ra.rct.uk.
About the Royal Collection
The Royal Collection is one of the world’s great art collections, held in trust by The King for his successors and the nation. With over a million objects, from paintings, drawings and books to sculpture, furniture and jewellery, it is a unique record of the tastes of British kings and queens over the past 500 years, with many items still used today for their original purpose. The Collection can be seen in palaces, museums and galleries across the UK and around the world, and can be explored online at www.rct.uk.
About the Science Museum
The Science Museum is part of the Science Museum Group, the world’s leading group of science museums that share a world-class collection providing an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical achievements from across the globe. Over the last century the Science Museum has grown in scale and scope, inspiring visitors with exhibitions covering topics as diverse as robots, codebreaking, cosmonauts and superbugs. The Science Museum was named a winner of the prestigious Art Fund Museum of the Year prize for 2020. www.sciencemuseum.org.uk. Follow on X, Facebook, Instagram and BlueSky.
About the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.
