America 250 – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

The Declaration of Independence did more than assert the Colonies’ independence from Britain. iStock/Getty Images Plus

April 7, 2026

1776’s Declaration of Independence inspired Washington’s troops to fight against the odds – and also helped bring in powerful allies

Christopher Magra, University of Tennessee

The Declaration of Independence isn’t just a philosophical breakup letter. It was a strategic move to secure vital support for America after its first declaration of war.

George Washington was initiated into Freemasonry at the age of 20. Strobridge & Co. Lith./Library of Congress via AP

April 6, 2026

Philadelphia’s founding years were rife with conspiracy fears about ‘godless’ Freemasons and the Illuminati

Derek Arnold, Villanova University

In the early days of the United States, Philly was a hotbed of conspiracy theories as fears grew that secret societies sought to dismantle religion’s influence on society.

According to the legend, Betsy Ross showed George Washington how a five-pointed star instead of a six-pointed star would speed up production. GraphicaArtis/Archive Photos Collection via Getty Images

March 23, 2026

What Betsy Ross’ real story tells us about women’s work in the Revolution − and why it still matters 250 years later

Marla Miller, UMass Amherst

Betsy Ross probably did not sew the first American flag, but she was one of many craftswomen whose wartime labor helped build a nation.

Painting in the Wisconsin State Capitol of ‘The Signing of the American Constitution.’ George Washington is seen presiding over the occasion, and on the right in the foreground is James Madison. E. R. Curtiss/Wisconsin Historical Society/Getty Images

March 9, 2026

What James Madison can teach Americans about religious freedom today

Corey D. B. Walker, Wake Forest University

For Madison, religious freedom was not a tool for political domination. Rather, he saw it as a constitutional safeguard for liberty and democracy.

The Erie Canal, seen here in Pittsford, N.Y., opened up western regions to trade, immigration and social change. Andre Carrotflower via Wikimedia Commons

October 20, 2025

The Erie Canal: How a ‘big ditch’ transformed America’s economy, culture and even religion

Matthew Smith, Miami University

Two hundred years ago, the Erie Canal was often derided as a ‘folly.’ Yet the waterway went on to transform the American frontier.

The committee assigned to draft the Declaration of Independence, from left: Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and John Adams. Currier & Ives image, photo by MPI/Getty Images

June 17, 2025

Along with the ideals it expresses, the Declaration of Independence mourns for something people lost in 1776 − and now, too

Maurizio Valsania, Università di Torino

For all the festivities around July 4, the nation’s founding document, the Declaration of Independence, actually depicts a wounded, fearful society, teetering on the brink of disaster. Sound familiar?

Jean Marie Joseph Bove’s depiction of Lafayette returning to the U.S. The caption says, ‘A great man belongs to the whole universe.’ Blancheteau Collection/Cornell University Library via Wikimedia Commons

June 9, 2025

Lafayette helped Americans turn the tide in their fight for independence – and 50 years later, he helped forge the growing nation’s sense of identity

Matthew Smith, Miami University

Hailed as a returning hero, the Marquis de Lafayette made a grand tour of the US in 1824-25, just before the country’s 50th birthday.

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