John C. Danforth Center to cosponsor “For 2026” conference

“For 2026: Contested Freedoms”—the second in a series of meetings commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence—will take place in Williamsburg, Virginia, October 26-28, 2023. The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis will cosponsor and its Interim-Director Mark Valeri will participate in this special conference. Indigenous tribal leaders, Virginia state officials, museum directors, public educators, and public historians will have a prominent role in this gathering designed to have a robust public presence. Conference participants will come from across the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

In 2026 the United States of America will mark the 250th anniversary of independence. It is a unique opportunity to explore and reflect upon the American past, the foundation of the nation, and its legacy into the present. Complex, inspiring, and often violent, this period informs our experience as Americans today. The better we understand that past, the better we are equipped to understand ourselves, address the challenges we face, and seize opportunities for the future.

Colonial Williamsburg, the Omohundro Institute, and William & Mary have joined together to host the conference series to spotlight emerging research, connect a diverse public to scholars and research, and convene significant conversations about how and why understanding the early American past is especially meaningful today. The first of these conferences, “For 2026: Revolutionary Legacies,” took place October 28–30, 2022.

For more information on the “For 2026” series, please see https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/on-site-opportunities/educational-conferences-forums-symposiums/omohundro/ or https://oieahc.wm.edu/.