National Council on Public History

This project will organize a series of five annual scholarly roundtables considering the origins and legacies of the American Revolution, dialogues which will contribute to larger discussions during NPS’s commemorations of the Revolution’s 250^th anniversary about its changing interpretation and its continuing relevance to the American people. These discussions will be used by NPS staff in their interpretive work with the public regardless of their geographic location or primary interpretive focus, by NCPH members as they prepare themselves and their students for the 250^th commemorations, and by members of the public as they consider the relevance of the Revolution to their own lives.

Webinar series

These programs are sponsored by the National Park Service and National Council on Public History as we work together to explore the history, relevance, and expanding interpretations of the American Revolution. The series (2025) will help guide interpretation and teaching of the Revolution. The "Considering the Revolution" webinar series can be viewed here.

Considering the Revolution: Indigenous History & Memory in Alaska, Hawaii, & the Indigenous Plateau (2021)
Considering the Revolution: The Identities Created by the American Revolutionary War (2022)
Rhetoric of Freedom: A Conversation About the Conditions of Black Life in the American Revolution (2023)
Considering the Revolution (2025)

article series

Laurie Arnold and Miki‘ala Ayau Pescaia, "Considering the Revolution: Indigenous Histories and Memory in Alaska, Hawai‘i, and the Indigenous Plateau," The Public Historian vol. 43, no. 4 (November 2021): 7–20. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2021.43.4.7

Amy Lonetree, "Decolonizing Museums, Memorials, and Monuments," The Public Historian vol. 43, no. 4 (November 2021): 21–27.  https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2021.43.4.21

Jean-Pierre Morin, "Considering the Revolution: The Identities Created by the American Revolutionary War," The Public Historian vol. 45, no. 1 (February 2023): 8–24. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2023.45.1.8

Sylvea Hollis, "The Rhetoric of Freedom: Remembering Slavery during the Semiquincentennial of the American Revolution," The Public Historian vol. 46, no. 1 (February 2024): 7–28. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2024.46.1.7

Gregory E. Smoak, "Considering the Revolution: Citizenship and Sovereignty," The Public History vol. 46, no. 4 (November 2024): 21-43. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2024.46.4.21

M.J. Rymsza-Pawlowska, "“Play the Long Game”: Public Historians’ Approach the Semiquincentennial and Beyond," The Public Historian vol. 48, no. 1 (February 2026): 8-21. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2026.48.1.8

Malgorzata Rymsza-Pawlowska, Series Editor

2021 Roundtable:
Laurie Arnold, chair
Miki’ala Ayau Pescaia, panelist
Maija Katak Lukin, panelist
Amy Lonetree, panelist

2022 Roundtable:
Jean-Pierre Morin, chair
Rebecca Brannon, panelist
Michael Hattem, panelist
Bonnie Huskins, panelist
Patrick O'Brian, panelist
Taylor Stoermer, panelist
Seynabou Thiam-Pereira, panelist

2023 Roundtable:
Sylvea Hollis, chair
Yveline Alexis, panelist
Ista Clarke, panelist
Maya Davis, panelist
Marcus Nevius, panelist

2024 Roundtable:
Gregory E. Smoak, chair
Kristen Hayashi, panelist
Katherine Kitterman, panelist
Nicole Moore, panelist
Yvette Towersap, panelist

2025 Roundtable:
Malgorzata Rymsza-Pawlowska, chair
Kristen Hayashi, panelist
Nicole Moore, panelist
Ista Clark, panelist