1776 - a year that changed the world - Leighton Library exhibition opening event

Leighton Library opening event for exhibition “1776 - A year that changed the world” - marking 250 years since 1776, a year of global upheaval, intellectual brilliance and far-reaching historical impact. This special joint exhibition (held in Dunblane Museum and the Leighton Library throughout July 2026) traces the links between the American Revolution and the Scottish Enlightenment in the year that American independence was declared. Trustees of the Leighton Library were actively acquiring key works of Enlightenment thought, eight of these surviving volumes being on display, with maps from the Leighton Library's original copy of the American Atlas - the most up to date cartographic record of the colonies on the eve of revolution. The exhibition launch event featured presentations from guest speakers: Kathryn Porter, US Consul General Lord George Robertson, Patron of the Leighton Library Dr Josh Smith, University of Stirling