About
What is UNFINISHED?
Unfinished: America at 250 is a partnership of organizations and individuals that believes in harnessing the power of history to build a more inclusive future.
Though the American War for Independence ended in 1783, the American Revolution remains unfinished. In creating the United States government, the founding generation asked critical questions that shaped the nation. What does liberty mean? Who is included, or excluded, in these visions of liberty? How are our voices heard within a democratic republic?
There are still inherent tensions between the founding generation’s initial responses to these questions and the realization of the nation’s democratic principles. Revolutionaries and changemakers, past and present, have responded to these fundamental questions with their own answers, continuing to shape these debates for almost 250 years.
Let’s learn from and build upon the work of previous generations.
Unfinished: America at 250 is a partnership of historical and cultural institutions, National Park Service sites, historians, and changemakers. This partnership harnesses the stories of the past and activates historic spaces to provoke community conversations about the ongoing American Revolution.
We invite you to join us in a series of discussions, performances, and digital engagements that will draw connections from the revolutionary era to today, showing the legacies and lasting impacts of the American Revolution. This series will commemorate the founding of the nation in resonant, bold, and inclusive ways, empowering everyone to see themselves in our unfinished story.
Together, we will broaden our understandings of the past and give ourselves the tools to build a better future.
Thank you to all who collaborated and contributed to this project:
- Dr. Danielle AllenDirector of Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics
- Kabria BaumgartnerAssociate Professor of History & Africana Studies, Northeastern University
- Jane BeckerDirector of Public History, University of Massachusetts, Boston
- Brett BerlinerAssociate Professor of History, Morgan State University
- Tem BlessedPositive Hip Hop Artist and Performer
- Terry BrownFederal Agency Coordinator at U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission
- Anna ChristieHistorian Pacific/Northwest, Regions 8, 9, 10, 12, National Park Service
- Kelly CobbleCurator, Adams National Historical Park
- Dan CohenVice Provost for Information Collaboration & Professor of History, Northeastern University
- Elisabeth ColbyEducation & Youth Engagement Specialist, National Parks of Boston
- Ricardo DiazYouth Program Assistant, Region 1, National Park Service
- Erika DossProfessor of American Studies, University of Notre Dame
- Patrick GabridgeProducing Artistic Director, Plays in Place
- Alec GillmanChief of Interpretation, Western District, MA Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Amy GlowackiProgram Manager for Interpretation & Education, Springfield Armory National Historic Site and Coltsville National Historical Park
- Jamie HandDirector of Strategic Impact and Narrative Change. Affiliated with Creatives Rebuild New York
- Jim HollisterLead Park Ranger, Minute Man National Historical Park
- Jonathan LaneRevolution 250 Coordinator, Massachusetts Historical Society
- Emily LevineSupervisory Park Ranger, Longfellow House Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site
- Patty LimerickFaculty Director and Chair of the Board, Center of the American West at the University of Colorado and Professor of History
- Rashaun MartinDirector of Retention Programs and Services for Educators of Color, Boston Public Schools, Life Trustee at the USS Constitution Museum
- Diane MillerProgram Manager, National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom
- Courtney O’ConnorArtistic Director, Lyric Stage Company of Boston
- Earl Perez-FoustInterpretive Operations Supervisor, Salem Maritime National Historic Site and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
- Amanda PollockVisual Information Specialist, National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program
- Susan RussoChief of Visitor Experience & Community Engagement, Salem Maritime National Historic Site and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
- Jamila Sabares-KlemmActor and Activist
- Sarah Scruggs American Conservation Experience Fellow, National Trails Office, National Park Service
- Chernoh M. SesayHistorian and Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Northwestern University
- Emma SilvermanLecturer, California State University, Sacramento; Researcher, National Park Service
- Sarah ShearAssistant Professor of Social Students and Multicultural Education, University Washington-Bothell
- Rebecca SmerlingDirector of Programming, Boston Harbor Now
- endawnis SpearsCo-founder and Director of Outreach and Programming, Akomawt Educational Initiative
- Nina ZannieriExecutive Director, Paul Revere Memorial Association
Project Team
- Frank BarrowsProgram Manager, Visitor Experience and Community Engagement, Region 1, National Park Service
- Marty BlattProfessor of the Practice Emeritus of Public History, Northeastern University
- Delia ClarkFacilitator and placed-based educator
- Shaun EyringManager, Cultural Resources, Region 1, National Park Service
- David GoldsteinLead Tribal and Cultural Affairs, Region 1, National Park Service
- Jocelyn GouldPark Guide, National Parks of Boston
- Eric Hanson PlassLead Park Ranger, National Parks of Boston
- Angel NievesProfessor of Africana Studies, History, and Digital Humanities; Director Public Humanities, Northeastern University
- Anjelica OswaldDigital Public History Intern, Student Conservation Association/National Parks of Boston
- Alanna Prince Graduate Student in English specializing in Black Literature & Visual Culture, Northeastern University
- Nat SheidleyPresident and CEO, Revolutionary Spaces, Inc.
- Liza StearnsDirector of Visitor Engagement, Education, and the Arts, National Parks of Boston
- Adam TomasiGraduate Student in History, Northeastern University
- Katie WoodsVisual Information Specialist, National Parks of Boston
