America 250: All People Are Created Equal

The crowd at the March for Birmingham, 2016. Alabama. — America 250: All People Are Created Equal

In July 1776, a group of colonists gathered in Philadelphia to sign a declaration of independence, dissolving their ties to the British Crown and kickstarting what would become 250 years of an American experiment.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…”
Declaration of Independence

At the National Trust, we are marking this anniversary by embracing the essential promise that “all people are created equal,” underscoring how historic places and people across the nation continue to shape our journey to becoming a more perfect union.

The lived experiences embedded in historic landscapes, homes, neighborhoods, and landmarks give us what we need to meet the next 250 years; an honest accounting of where we’ve been and the humility and courage to imagine where we can go.

Join us for a year of conversation, commemoration, and action:

To mark the 250th anniversary, the Historic Preservation Fund Reauthorization Act would reauthorize the HPF for ten years and increase its authorization to $250 million, annually.

A group of descendants from National Trust historic sites sitting around a table in conversation. In the back is a yellow bulletin board with various papers pinned to it.

A descendent-centered program at four National Trust Historic Sites in Virginia, events will be begin on Juneteenth, followed by a July signature event and culminating with a series of events in the fall.

America 250 Events From the National Trust

Give Me Liberty: Virginia and the Forging of a Nation at Belle Grove Plantation (Middletown, Virginia)

Give Me Liberty at Belle Grove

Give Me Liberty: Virginia & The Forging of a Nation is the signature exhibition of the Virginia America Revolution 250 Commission organized in partnership by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Belle Grove is hosting the companion traveling exhibit from April 28-June 7.

July 4th Event at Cliveden (Germantown, Pennsylvania)

July 4th at Cliveden

Cliveden is open on July 4th, part of Wawa Welcome America‘s Free Museum Days! We will be open 10am to 2pm, and offering free tours of the first floor of the house. The Cliveden Barn and Arboretum will be open to the public as well.

Salon 1776 at Montpelier (Orange, Virginia)

Salon 1776 at Montpelier

Montpelier launched Salon 1776, a lecture series that features a short lecture on a topic related to Montpelier and the founding-era, followed by a cocktail reception. Held in the Grand Salon in the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center, these gatherings provide an atmosphere of socially engaging education for the public in a welcoming, intimate environment. Please join us!

July 11 Topic: “As American as Apple Pie: Food and Feasting in 18th-century Virginia” with Kelley Fanto Deetz, PhD, RPA

The Minute Man: Examining Patriotism, Victory and Loss at Chesterwood (Stockbridge, Massachusetts)

The Minute Man at Chesterwood

Chesterwood presents The Minute Man: Examining Patriotism, Victory, and Loss. Presented in the galleries of French’s recently renovated residence, the exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, bringing together works by French and his colleagues that celebrate notable Americans and address themes of loyalty, freedom, triumph, and grief.

National Preservation Summit

Summit

This National Preservation Summit will bring together leaders from the preservation community alongside national, civic, business, and community figures from across the nation. With a theme of All People Are Created Equal, this convening will explore community revitalization, the interpretation of the past to foster a shared future, and unity through historic places.