The Meaning of the American Revolution in 2026

Conference organized by Professors Craig Yirush (University of California, Los Angeles), and Brad A. Jones (California State University, Fresno)

On the 200th anniversary of the American Revolution in 1976, Americans celebrated it as the story of a struggle for liberty which culminated in the creation of the world’s first democratic republic. Leading historians largely concurred with this nationalistic view of the Revolution’s significance. They disagreed about whether the republicanism of the new nation was liberal and individualistic, or classical and communitarian; but they all agreed that the Revolution sparked a “contagion of liberty” which transformed American society.

Approaching the 250th anniversary in 2026, things are very different. While the public continues to think about the Revolution in democratic and egalitarian terms, historians are no longer so confident that the Revolution ushered in an age of liberty.

This conference will gather a group of leading scholars to see where scholarship about the Revolution is fifty years later, on its 250th anniversary, exploring how we’ve come to rethink this important event, including its broader continental and global reach, and its racial and ideological underpinnings. By addressing the talks to a largely non-academic and public audience, we hope to show non-scholars the new ways historians are currently thinking about the meaning of this seminal event in U.S. and world history.

The list of speakers, the conference schedule, and the registration form are available on our website.

This event is free to attend with advance registration and will be held in person at the Clark Library.

Registration will close on Monday, April 6 at 5:00 p.m.

Capacity is limited at the Clark Library; walk-in registrants are welcome as space permits.