America's 250th Anniversary
- Kira Williams
- May 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 17
This summer, the David & Joyce Milne Public Library is participating in the TED Democracy Live program. The main event is a full day of virtual talks about democracy on Saturday, June 13. We will broadcast this event here and all are welcome to attend! The schedule is as follows:
Session 3: Forging Ahead at 4 PM to 5:30 PM EDT (the library will be open late for this last session)
See the full list of speakers here. Please note this livestream is not available virtually from home; only participating libraries and other groups will livestream the talks in front of a live audience in Philadelphia.
TED Democracy and Founding Futures have also awarded us a grant which allows us to host quite a few other events, including virtual author talks, two revolutionary-era reenactors, and a film showing paired with a craft. Check out the schedule below!
America's 250th - Events at the Library (unless marked as virtual)
Saturday, June 13th, 11:00 am - 5:30 pm
Thursday, June 25th, 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Virtual Talk: Celebrating America's 250th: Common Soldier, Uncommon Hero with historian Bruce E. Mowday
Monday, June 29th, 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Virtual Talk: Celebrating America's 250th: Iron in the Water with Adventurer in History, Kiersten Marcil
Monday, July 6th, 7:00 - 8:00 pm
Sheryl Faye presents Historical Women: Abigail Adams - Liberty and Legacy *Family-friendly event*
Saturday, July 11th, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Wednesday, July 15th, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Thursday, July 16th, 5:00pm - 7:30 pm
Saturday, July 25, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
*Family-friendly event*
Saturday, August 1, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
*Family-friendly event*
Also in the Library:
Revolution-Era book displays in June and July
Free copies of This is What Democracy Looks Like: A Graphic Guide to Governance (limited number; please take just one per household)
Local Events:
Williamstown Historical Museum 250th Events
Revolution-era Resources:
Check out the DVD through the CWMARS catalog, or watch it on WMHT (login required).
The Unfinished Revolution, Atlantic Magazine
This free issue of the Atlantic examines the founding of the United States and brings the nation's history to bear on its present - and its future. Their special coverage of America at 250 will continue through July 4th, 2026.
Founding Documents of the United States at Williams College Special Collections
Participating in Democracy:
Milne Public Library Blog: Voting Guide, 2026
Thank you to the Friends of Milne Public Library and TED Democracy and Founding Futures for their generous support.
This is such a thoughtful lineup for the 250th — I love that the library is mixing big-picture TED talks about democracy with hands-on local history like the reenactors and the film screening. The "Iron in the Water" talk caught my eye since we don't often hear about the lesser-known stories behind the Revolution. On a related note, if anyone's documenting these events or working on a local history project, I've found a handy video to frames online tool that makes it easy to pull stills from recordings for flyers or social posts. Wish I could be there in person for the June 13th broadcast — hoping the library does something like this again!
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Trump threatens lottery 66 new tariffs on European allies over Greenland until deal reached, as thousands protest...
This is such a great use of the library space — I love that they're bringing in reenactors and film screenings alongside the TED talks. The "Common Soldier, Uncommon Hero" talk with Bruce Mowday sounds especially interesting since we tend to focus on the big names of the Revolution rather than everyday folks. Speaking of celebrating the 250th, I've been thinking about how we engage with history in smaller ways too — this reminds me of "the choicer voicer" and how we all experience these milestones differently. Wish I could attend in person, but glad the library is keeping these conversations going!