In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union

The 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding invites Americans to reflect on the moments and movements that have shaped our democracy, and to consider how each generation’s struggles and triumphs continue to define our collective character. Join us for this special program, in partnership with In Pursuit, a new initiative focused on the resiliency of American democracy through an exploration of our Presidents and First Ladies, when a panel of preeminent historians will discuss key lessons in American history and our ongoing quest for a “more perfect” union, reflecting on how the ideals of the Declaration of Independence have been tested, reimagined, and realized across generations, and what their legacies mean for citizens today.

David W. Blight, a scholar trustee of The New York Historical, is Sterling Professor of American History at Yale University, as well as Director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition. Lonnie G. Bunch III is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Drew Gilpin Faust is president emeritus of Harvard University and a leading scholar of the American Civil War. Karin Wulf is Beatrice and Julio Mario Santo Domingo Director and Librarian at Brown University’s John Carter Brown Library. Colleen Shogan (moderator) was the 11th Archivist of the United States and is the CEO of In Pursuit and a senior advisor at the bipartisan initiative More Perfect.