To commemorate 250 years of American Independence and the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Jack Miller Center, in cooperation with the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati, announces a call for proposals for a history conference on “The American Revolution and Its Legacies: Independence and a Candid World.”

Historians David Armitage and Andrew O'Shaughnessy will engage in a keynote conversation reflecting on the domestic and global causes and consequences of the Declaration from 1776 to 2026, offering their distinctive perspectives to conference participants and the broader communities of the American Revolution Institute and the Jack Miller Center.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” proclaimed the Declaration of Independence. These words became the foundation for the new United States and articulated the ideals of the American Revolution. They also had a tangible effect. They built a cause, provided soldiers with the will to fight, and offered all Americans reason to “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” But from the start, the impact of these words was aimed at more than just Americans. It was an international document by design, one to “declare the causes which impel them to the separation,” but also to seek aid from Europe and spread its promise. The basis for American independence was, in essence, a message to “a candid world.” 

The 250th birthday of the United States of America provides the perfect occasion to reflect on and reexamine the domestic and global causes and consequences of the Declaration of Independence and American independence from 1776 to 2026. 

We invite individual proposals centered on the Declaration or American independence more broadly from various geographical and chronological perspectives. Topics of particular interest include: 

• The origins, causes, debates, intentions, and consequences of American independence.
• Global receptions, interpretations, and effects of the Declaration of Independence and American independence.
• The contributions of the Continental Congress and/or Continental Army/Navy or individuals towards American independence. 
• Deep textual analysis and discussion of the Declaration or other primary sources related to American independence. 
• How military action and/or diplomacy was linked with the Declaration of Independence. 
• Earlier influences on the Declaration of Independence from the ancient world through the Enlightenment and American resistance to Great Britain. 
• How the Declaration of Independence and/or American independence altered and/or maintained society at the local, state, national (and international) levels, including planning the future of independence and imagining the frontier.
• How evolving interpretations and collective memory of the Declaration of Independence from 1776 to 2026 have shaped citizenship, civic education, political rhetoric, constitutional views, and national identity, with particular attention to America 250.

We welcome individual papers as well as proposals for formal panels or roundtables featuring three scholars. Please note that chairs will be assigned from the Jack Miller Center scholarly network. These panels are structured to promote sustained conversation among panelists and meaningful engagement with the audience. These panels are not paper-reading sessions. Participants will offer brief, timed remarks to leave substantial room for discussion.

Presenters are asked to submit a detailed 250-300-word proposal along with a CV. We encourage graduate students, junior scholars, adjunct faculty, and independent researchers to submit proposals.   

Although funding is limited, some travel scholarships will be available for particular needs. Certain panels may also be recorded for broadcasting. 

The deadline for submitting papers is April 17th, 2026. Presenters will be notified by mid-May. Please direct questions to Elliott Drago (EDrago@gojmc.org).