<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:18.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
font-weight:bold;}
h3
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#467886;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:none;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading3Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3";
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:none;
font-weight:bold;}
span.EmailStyle23
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:789712788;
mso-list-template-ids:-1696055656;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:1618220945;
mso-list-template-ids:-1447287696;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<h2>Central Region Humanities Center Biennial Conference - <i>250 Years: The Promises and Legacy of the Declaration of Independence<o:p></o:p></i></h2>
<h3>Sept. 10-13, 2026 | Baker Center Theater (In person)<o:p></o:p></h3>
<p><a href="https://www.ohio.edu/cas/central-region-humanities-center/biennial-conference">https://www.ohio.edu/cas/central-region-humanities-center/biennial-conference</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>In 2026, we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. With this document, members of the revolutionary generation set in motion the struggle against political tyranny and in defense of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
In the years following independence, generations of Americans, inspired by the Declaration, strove to cement the “self-evident truth that all men are created equal” and endowed with certain unalienable rights. The story of that pursuit shaped regions and communities
like ours and informed the trajectory of our country and broader world.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>This conference will facilitate an exploration of the history, meaning, and legacy of the Declaration of Independence. It will also highlight the many ways people and communities in the Ohio Valley and Northwest Territory helped to realize the lofty sentiments
articulated in the Declaration of Independence in the 250 years since 1776.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>Conference events include:<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
Concert on the Green and Choral Reading of the Declaration of Independence on Thursday, Sept. 10, 6 p.m., College Green<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
A Conversation with <b>Dr. Colleen Shogan, the 11th archivist of the United States</b>, about the importance of the Declaration of Independence as a historical artifact and foundational American text on Friday, Sept. 11, 5pm, Baker University Theater<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
Conference presentations and student research posters on Friday, Sept. 11, and Saturday, Sept. 12, Baker Center Theater<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">
Public Exhibitions and other cultural activities on Sunday, Sept. 13, Richland Park, Southeast Ohio History Center, Alden Library, and other locations.<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p>All conference events are free and open to the public. Free parking is available for conference participants on the Baker University Center surface lot (#122 on the
<a href="https://www.ohio.edu/transportation-parking/map">OHIO parking map</a>).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p><em><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">The CRHC Biennial Conference 250 Years: The Promises and Legacy of the Declaration of Independence</span></em> is made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the generous
support of Ohio University’s Kennedy Lecture Series, College of Arts and Sciences, Honors Tutorial College, and College of Fine Arts.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>---<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">Schedule of Events:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">THURSDAY, SEPT. 10<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">6-7 p.m. – Ohio University College Green – Concert on the Green and Choral Reading of the Declaration of Independence.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">FRIDAY, SEPT. 11 - BAKER CENTER THEATER<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 9-10 a.m. – Welcome and Opening Remarks<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> Mariana Dantas & Matthew Ando, Ohio University.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 10-11:40 a.m. – Self-Evident Truths: Intellectual Traditions and Pursuits in the Age of Revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Jessica Cyders, Southeast Ohio History Center - The Pursuit of Virtue: Education, Liberty, and the Northwest Territory.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Iris De Rode, University of Virginia - “Public Happiness” and Revolutionary Knowledge: Chastellux and Transatlantic Intellectual Exchange.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Fred Drogula, Ohio University, Ancient Greek Influences on Thomas Jefferson’s Thoughts on Revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 11:40 a.m.-1 p.m. Lunch Break<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 1-2:40 p.m. – “To Effect Safety and Public Happiness”: Territorial Organization and Colonization.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Timothy Anderson, Ohio University - (De)constructing the Grid: The Public Land Survey System and the Production of Abstract Space in the Early Republic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Brandon Downing, Marietta College - The Founding Fathers of the Northwest Territory: How Their Declaration of Independence Shaped the Ohio Country.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Edward Watts, Michigan State University - No Inveterate Systems to Overturn?: Yankee, French, and Indigenous Wests After the Declaration.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 2:40-3 p.m. - Coffee Break.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 3-4:40 p.m. – “To Assume Equal Station”: Sovereignty, Autonomy and Citizenship.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Warren Milteer, Jr., George Washington University - The Evolution of Freedom: Free People of Color in the Age of Revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - John O’Keefe, Ohio University-Chillicothe - Immigrants and the Building of Citizenship and Community in Ohio, 1776-2026.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Andrew Washburn, University of Cincinnati - Independent Indigenous Ohio: Kukwethakextun and the 14th State.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 5-:15 p.m. – Keynote: Fireside Chat with Dr. Colleen Shogan, 11<sup>th</sup> Archivist of the United States (2023-2025).
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 - BAKER CENTER THEATER<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 9-10:40 a.m. – Life and the Pursuit of Autonomy Among Black Communities of Appalachia.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Amanda Flowers, Tablertown People of Color Museum - From Coal Mines to a Museum: The Tablertown Story<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Trevellya Ford, West Virginia State University - Reclaiming Independence: Continuing Legacy Through Media<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Avery Richardson, Ohio University - Black Perseverance, Migration, and Historical Erasure along the Ohio River and Point Pleasant, WV<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 10:40-1 a.m. Coffee Break<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 11 a.m.-12:40 p.m. – Liberty Won, Pursued and Constructed.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Michael Blaakman, Princeton University - Liberty’s IOUs: How the War for Independence Sparked the United States’ First Real-Estate Boom<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Andrew Feight, Shawnee State University - Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Freedom: The Escape of Dave and Pleasant and the Underground Railroad in Appalachian Ohio<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Andrea Frohne, Ohio University - Benjamin Banneker Assists in Configuring the Capital; Jemima Banneker’s Children Construct the Lett Settlement: Black Pioneers in the Legacy of a New Nation<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 12:40-2 p.m. Lunch Break<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 2-3:40 p.m. – Pursuit of Happiness: Private Ambitions, Equal Opportunities, Public Welfare.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Ana Schwartz, University of Texas at Austin - Happiness, Self-evident.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Anna-Lisa Cox, Harvard University - A Revolutionary Revolution: The Radicals of 1776 and the Founding of Our Nation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Thomas Scanlan, Ohio University - The Strange Death of Public Happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 3:40-4 p.m. - Coffee Break<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 4-5:40 p.m. – The Declaration of Independence: Promises, Meaning, and Legacy.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Sara Fisher, Ashland County Historical Society - Connecting America 250 at the Local Level: How Engaging the Legacy of the American Revolution Can Create a Sense of Place for….<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Brian Koscho, Invisible Ground - The Legacies of the Declaration of Independence in Early Ohio: From the Northwest Territory to Statehood.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Johann Neem, Western Washington University - The Revolution We Need Today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">- 5:40-6 p.m. – Concluding Remarks.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">SUNDAY, SEPT. 13<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Exhibitions (Times TBA)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Historic Athens Walking Tour.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - “Life Before Ohio University”: Manasseh Cutler Exhibition Opening - Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries, 5th fl, 30 Park Pl, Athens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Ohio Settlement - Southeast Ohio History Center, 24 W State St, Athens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Stories in the Park - Richland Avenue Park, 8493 Dairy Ln, Athens.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> - Tablertown People of Color Museum, 9035 St Rt 329, Stewart 45778.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">---</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Janet M. Carleton | Interim, Libraries Communication & Marketing | Digital Initiatives Coordinator | Digital Initiatives | Mahn Center for Archives
and Special Collections, Preservation & Digital Initiatives | OHIO University Libraries | Alden 333 | Athens, Ohio | 740.597.2527 | she/her |
<a href="mailto:carleton@ohio.edu"><span style="color:black">carleton@ohio.edu</span></a> |
<a href="https://media.library.ohio.edu/"><span style="color:black">Digital Archives</span></a> |
<a href="https://archivesspace.ohio.edu/"><span style="color:black">Archives Finding Aids</span></a>
</span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> </span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Visit our Mahn Center Socials</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">:
<a href="https://sites.ohio.edu/library-archives-blog/"><span style="color:black">Archives Blog</span></a> |
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/aldenlibdigital.bsky.social"><span style="color:black">BlueSky</span></a> |
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/archives.ohiouniversity"><span style="color:black">Instagram</span></a> |
<a href="http://pinterest.com/OhioDigiArchive/"><span style="color:black">Pinterest</span></a> |
<a href="https://bit.ly/ou-uaSpotify"><span style="color:black">Spotify</span></a> |
<a href="http://bit.ly/YouTube-OU-hist-films"><span style="color:black">YouTube</span></a></span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>