As we look ahead to the 250th anniversary—the semiquincentennial—of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, communities and commissions across the United States are asking big questions:
How should we commemorate this historic milestone?- What’s the right balance between celebration and education?
- And how can this moment bring people together across political divides, generational gaps, and complex histories?
To explore these questions, I’ve invited my friend, colleague, and Clio Digital Media co-founder Karin Wulf to guest-host a special conversation with two people who are leading the way:
Together, they reveal how their states are planning commemorative programs that center civic engagement, local storytelling, and inclusive history—and how the 250th can be more than a moment. It can be a spark.
About the Show
Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.
It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.
Episode Summary
Karin Wulf serves as guest host as we explore the work and activities of Revolution 250 state commissions. Her guests include Carly Fiorina, National Honorary Chair of the Virginia 250 Commission and Chair of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Board, and Gregg Amore, Secretary of State of Rhode Island and Chair of the Rhode Island 250 Commission.
During our conversation, Karin, Carly, and Gregg reveal
1. The educational and civic goals driving their states’ commemorative plans for 2026
2. How local communities within their states are getting involved with grassroots history-making.
3. The challenges and opportunities of uniting Americans around a shared revolutionary legacy in a politically divided moment.
What You’ll Discover
- Key goals of Virginia 250
- Key goals of Rhode Island 250
- Rhode Island’s connections to Virginia
- Cooperation between state Revolution 250 commissions
- How the states are involving young people in Revolution 250
- How the Ken Burns documentary project can and will help state commemorations
- Influence of our present-day political moment on Revolution 250 commemorations
- How state commissions use and consider Bicentennial events in planning
- Biggest goals and challenges of engaging citizens in 2026
- How Americans are responding to the start of Revolution 250
- Methods used to prompt American engagement with Revolution 250
- Why a full, nuanced, and inclusive telling of the Revolution resonates
- What happens after 2026 as 250 anniversaries continue
Links to People, Places, and Publications
Complementary Episodes
🎧 Episode 250: Virginia, 1619
🎧 Episode 373: The Gaspee Affair, 1772
🎧 Episode 417: Roger Williams, Rogue Puritan
🎧 Episode 416: Lineage: Genealogy in Early America
🎧 Episode 424: Dunmore’s Proclamation & the American Revolution in Virginia
🎧 Episode 425: Ken Burns’s The American Revolution
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