Making History at 250

Book excerpt: Making History at 250: The Field Guide for the Semiquincentennial provides themes, ideas, and inspiration for museum professionals, historians, educators, volunteers, and others in the history community as they prepare for the Semiquincentennial anniversary of the United States' Declaration of Independence. The themes, "Unfinished Revolutions," "Power of Place," "We the People," "American Experiment," and "Doing History," are intended to encourage inclusive, relevant histories and provide cohesiveness to a multi-faceted, grassroots commemoration. Developed with direction from a diverse panel of more than twenty-five historians and museum professionals from across the United States, each of these guiding themes can be used to explore the nation's founding and the legacy of the Revolution, helping the history community and the nation confront hard truths about the shortcomings of our experiment in liberty and equality, while celebrating the vital principles of participatory government and constitutional rights. The themes in this guide encourage a deep engagement with the entirety of our past, one full of moments that both inspire and challenge us.Making History at 250 can help the history community coordinate their efforts in advance of 2026 and work together to fulfill the incredible, transformative potential of the Semiquincentennial.