In the lead up to the nation’s 250th anniversary marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the McNeil Center for Early American Studies has been working with a host of organizations at the University of Pennsylvania to plan events and exhibits to commemorate the anniversary.
The McNeil Center is aiming to focus attention on the broader history surrounding the 250th, particularly the complexities that arise from that period. “We want to use this anniversary as a moment for discussion and commemoration, but also to reflect on the U.S. experiment and what it is,” says Emma Hart, director of the McNeil Center.