Two-day event celebrates 250 years of American independence

The Watchorn Lincoln Memorial Association invites the public to celebrate the nation’s 250^th anniversary with Liberty’s Legacy: Celebrating 250 Years of Independence, a program that reflects the nation’s past and the enduring ideals that continue to shape our society today.

The two-day program includes a keynote address by noted historian Jon Meacham on Sept. 29 and a symposium with scholars discussing the significance of the Declaration of Independence to Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War on Sept. 30. Both programs will be held at the University of Redlands, Orton Center, 1250 E. Brockton Ave.

Meacham,a distinguished presidential historian, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, and the Rogers Chair in the American Presidency at Vanderbilt University will deliver the keynote speech at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29. With a talent for weaving history with contemporary relevance, Meacham will explore the founding ideals embedded in the Declaration of Independence and their profound influence on American history. Admission is free but registration is required by Tuesday, Sept. 15, at  https://www.lincolnshrine.org/america250/meacham/.

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., join an immersive symposium featuring five distinguished scholars discussing President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War with a particular focus on the impact of the Declaration of Independence on Lincoln’s perspective on liberty and slavery.

The fee is $125 per person and includes lunch and closing reception at the Lincoln Memorial Shrine. Registration is available through Tuesday, Sept. 15, or when sold out at www.lincolnshrine.org/america250/symposium-2026/.

Keynote Speaker Jon Meacham:

• A skilled orator with a depth of knowledge about history, politics and religious, Meacham has the unique ability to bring history to life and offer historical context to current events and issues impacting our daily lives. Meacham is the New York Times bestselling author of “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the America Struggle” and “The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels.” His latest book, “American Struggles: Democracy, Dissent and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, An Anthology” was recently published. Meacham is a frequent guest on “Morning Joe”; Real Time with Bill Maher”; “The 11^th Hour”; and was featured in Ken Burn’s documentary series, “The Roosevelts; An Intimate History.” FOX News produced an hour-long special about Meacham’s 2015 book, “Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Walker Bush.” He has two podcasts with the History Channel, “Hope Through History” and “It Was Said.” He is an executive producer and featured historian in History Channel’s current documentary series, “World War II with Tom Hanks.” Meacham is a member of the Council on Foreign Affairs and a fellow of the Society of American Historians. He also serves as Canon Historian of the Washington National Cathedral. 

Symposium Panelists:

• Akhil Reed Amar, JD, Constitutional Scholar, Professor of Law and Political Science, Yale University, author of more than a hundred law review articles as well as several books, including The Words That Made Us: America’s Constitutional Conversation, 1760-1840 and its sequel, Born Equal: Remaking America’s Constitution, 1840-1920.
• Michael D. Hattem, PhD., Historian of early America, the American Revolution, and popular memory, Associate Director of Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, author of The Memory of ’76: The Revolution in American History, Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution, and to be released in late 2026, The Declaration of Independence: A Concise History.
• James “Jake” Lundberg, PhD., American Historian and Journalist, Archivist, In-house Historian and Staff Writer, The Atlantic, previously taught U.S. History (Revolution to Civil War and Reconstruction) at the University of Notre Dame, author of Horace Greeley: Print, Politics, and the Failure of American Nationhood.
• Manisha Kumar Sinha, PhD., American Historian on transnational histories of slavery and abolition, feminism, and the history and legacy of the Civil War and Reconstruction, Draper Chair in American History, University of Connecticut, author of The Counterrevolution of Slavery: Politics and Ideology in Antebellum South Carolina, The Slave’s Cause: A History of Abolition, and The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic: Reconstruction, 1860-1920. Sinha was the 2018 Watchorn Lincoln Dinner speaker.
• Ronald C. White, PhD., American Historian and author of two New York Times bestselling presidential biographies, A Lincoln: A Biography and American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant. White’s other books about President Lincoln include, Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural, The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words, and Lincoln In Private: What His Most Personal Reflections Tell Us About Our Greatest President. White was the 2003 Watchorn Lincoln Dinner speaker.