1776 and all that: Reflections on the USA at 250 Event
- Time:
- 14:00
- Date:
- 2026-06-19 14:00:00
- Venue:
- Building 65 Avenue Campus, Lecture Theatre C
Event details
Speaker: Professor Frank Cogliano (University of Edinburgh)
Twenty-twenty-six marks the semiquincentennial of the US Declaration of Independence. The adoption of the Declaration was the founding moment for the United States – and a major event in eighteenth-century British history. The significant anniversaries of its adoption: 1826, 1876, 1976, have been key moments of national reflection about the meaning and purpose of the United States. This is especially true in 2026 as the nation confronts its most profound internal conflict since the American Civil War. Unlike in 1861, the political crisis in the contemporary United States has implications for global security and prosperity. In this talk, Frank Cogliano surveys past commemorations of the anniversary of American independence and examines the fractious planning for the 2026 anniversary. The semiquincentennial is a mirror which offers an unforgiving reflection on contemporary America.
Frank Cogliano is an international authority on the American War of Independence and the founding of the Republic, the host of The Whiskey Rebellion podcast and Cuppa History Instagram postings, a frequent broadcaster on Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland, and a former academic director of Thomas Jefferson’s Virginia estate, Monticello.