A project of the Initiative for Democracy and Civic Empowerment, the William L. Clements Library, and the U-M Arts Initiative, the U.S. at 250 program has provided opportunities for the U-M community to gather, ponder and debate in the true spirit of American democracy born in 1776.
MORE INFORMATION
- U.S. at 250
- Look to Michigan: America at 250
- "Revolutionary Paine" at the Clements
- "A Quilt Built from Stories"
The program has been guided by:
- Jenna Bednar, faculty director for UMICH Votes and the Initiative for Democracy & Civic Empowerment; professor of political science, LSA; and professor of public policy, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
- Paul Erickson, Randolph G. Adams Director of the William L. Clements Library.
- Mark Clague, executive director, Arts Initiative; and professor of music, School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
With the 250th anniversary date nearing — and during a time when democracy's past, present and future are in the public purview — opportunities for reflection are ramping up.
"Just as the Americans who proclaimed our Declaration of Independence were taking stock of where they stood and imagining a different future, we too are at a moment of reflection — considering what we have achieved and what we have yet to achieve," said Bednar, who with Celeste Watkins-Hayes, the Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of the Ford School, and LSA Dean Rosario Ceballo, served as co-chair of the Look to Michigan vision campaign's inaugural theme Year of Democracy, Civic Empowerment, and Global Engagement in 2024-25.
"The 250th is not only a celebration; it is also a reckoning. That founding vision was incomplete, and it has fallen to every generation since to expand it through struggle, argument, and the hard work of making its promises real."
U-M is emphasizing its impact on the nation by placing advertisements in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and in news publications in Michigan that highlight the Look to Michigan vision campaign's impact areas of Human Health and Well-Being; Democracy, Civic & Global Engagement; Advanced Technology; Energy, Climate Action, Sustainability and Environmental Equity; and Life-Changing Education, in addition to Arts & Creative Expression and Innovation, Partnerships, and Economic Development.
A series of seven advertisements will rotate through Michigan publications through early July, and a single ad will appear in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal in special editions July 3 and 4.
Declaration public reading
While July 4 is when the country officially celebrates Independence Day, the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence took place July 8, 1776. To mark this anniversary, U.S. at 250 will host a public reading of the document at 6 p.m. July 8 on the Diag.
President Domenico Grasso is expected to take part in the reading, and representatives from each of U-M's 19 schools and colleges are being invited to participate as well. The event coincides with a statewide effort from America250MI, with public readings of the Declaration also expected to occur across the country. The event on the Diag is expected to start at 5:45 p.m. with free popsicles and music and opening remarks and the readings to begin at 6 p.m.
The Declaration of Independence might not have happened without the influence of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense: Addressed to the Inhabitants of America," a fiery document published in early 1776 that argued British rule in the American colonies violated the rights and freedoms of the people — pillars of the Declaration and democracy as a whole.
The Clements Library holds 58 editions of this publication and hosted an exhibit in the fall. The exhibit can be viewed on the Clements Library website.
"The Clements Library is one of the best places in the world to study the history of the American Revolution," Erickson said. "And if I have learned anything from working at the Clements, it is that we are still engaged in the passionate discussion that began over 250 years ago about what this country is and what it might aspire to be.
"Many people think of the 250th anniversary of the Revolution as an opportunity to celebrate a bunch of settled facts. But there is a great deal that we still don't know about the events and ideas that led to the formation of the United States, just as we don't know where this experiment will lead."
Art at work
The U.S. at 250 Community Quilt Workshop resulted in a stunning quilt with the words "Love," "Empathy," "Trust" and "Belonging" along the sides. This work of art will be on display in July on the first floor of the Michigan Union, then move to the first floor of the Michigan League throughout August and be available for viewing during September in Pierpont Commons' gallery wall.
The winning design was created by space science Ph.D. student Cole Dorman.
Additionally, students were invited to enter a contest using original artwork to design stickers honoring the university's contributions to American democracy. Three designs were selected, and stickers bearing the artwork of space science Ph.D. student Cole Dorman, biostatistics student Ashini Shah and pre-law student Mia Echlin will be distributed at U.S. at 250 events.
"Artists are vital to a thriving democracy. Artists have both the skills and social responsibility to use sound, story, movement, image, space, and time in agile and engaging ways not only to showcase different perspectives and possibilities but to create experiences that invite us all to reconsider our responsibilities and choices as citizens more deeply," said Clague, who authored the 2022 book "O Say Can You Hear: A Cultural Biography of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,'" and will deliver a lecture-recital Sept. 16.
"Art allows us to better understand our hopes and dreams as well as those of others in our communities, balancing today's disorienting, rapid fire, and continual campaign messaging with thoughtful engagement and communal debate."
Upcoming events
The U.S. at 250 grant funding program provided $100,000 for five exhibits, 28 events, five research projects and three course projects.
Among the highlights of upcoming events and exhibits:
- "Common Ground: This Land, Our Future," late September, Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Event will include featured speakers and panel discussions sharing insights and lived experiences around land stewardship, ecological care and collective action as well as a 250 Oak Tree Giveaway that encourages participants to take home one of 250 oak saplings.
- "U-M Press 250th Anniversary Exhibit and Catalog," fall, Shapiro Library Gallery. Undergraduate student Larnell Gross has chosen 12 books from the U-M Press' book publishing program that started in 1930 to illustrate the tapestry that comprises U.S. identity, resulting in an exhibit and an 84-page catalog.
- "U.S. at 250 Scavenger Hunt," launching Sept. 14. Participants will receive clues that connect to different U.S. at 250 exhibits on campus for a two-week hunt with U.S. at 250 plush keychain squirrels as giveaways.
Bednar said the university is uniquely positioned to ponder the success, impact and path of democracy as it turns 250.
"The humanities help us reflect on what makes our lives meaningful and what we owe one another; the sciences help us build the knowledge and tools to create a better future," she said. "This anniversary asks us to look honestly at how far we have come, how far we still have to go, and how we might move forward together."