The United States of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 provides an exceptional opportunity to consider the important role of the Lehigh Valley in the nation’s origins and early growth and the continuing relevance of these contributions.
Scholars and student researchers from Bucknell University, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Moravian University, and Muhlenberg College, will share their recent discoveries that are helping shape nine exhibitions to be presented over the next three years as part of the recognition of Lehigh Valley250.
Joined by the exhibition curators, they will discuss the tensions and multiple perspectives and forces that molded the country, reveal the unheard voices of a greater range of peoples who contributed to the nation’s birth, and examine the lasting elements that continue to shape the country and its diverse communities today.
The Keefe Colloquium in the Public Humanities is made possible with generous support to Lafayette College from the Keefe Family Foundation. Additional support for Lehigh Valley 250 has been provided by the following funders: Bergh Family Foundation, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Max Kade Foundation, Keystone Savings Foundation, William T. Morris Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
AGENDA
8:30AM – 9:00AM
Registration
9:00AM – 9:15AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:15AM – 10:00AM
Inclusive History: The Importance of Finding and Sharing Under-Documented Stories
10:00AM – 10:45 AM
Primary Documents and Research Methodologies
11:00AM – 11:45AM
Lehigh Valley as Capital of Industry, Now and Then
11:45AM – 12:30PM
Communicating the Revolution – Material Culture
12:30PM – 1:00PM
Lunch
1:15PM – 2:30PM
Keynote Presentation by Dr. Scott Paul Gordon
2:30PM – 2:30PM
Coffee and Conversations with the Curators