Two-hundred and fifty years ago, on July 4, 1776, the thirteen American colonies severed political ties with Great Britain, declaring themselves independent states: “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” When the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1789, this nation was established by a representative democracy where citizens elected officials to make decisions on their behalf and to represent the interests and opinions of their constituents. As President Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg address, the United States established “a government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
The McLean County Museum of History, in partnership with The Dirksen Congressional Center, Not in our Town B-N, Prairie Pride Coalition, Illinois State University Center for Civic Engagement, YWCA, YMCA, Heartland Community College, NAACP, and League of Women Voters, is engaging in a series of “Democracy Dialogues” to explore and debate four founding principles from the Declaration of Independence.
Each of the quarterly discussions will begin with a short presentation on the historical context of each phrase and why it was included in the Declaration. All ages are encouraged to participate in the discussions. Program participants will then break into facilitated small group discussions to reflect on what these founding principles mean to them, how they have changed in our society since 1776, how they have been upheld, and what impact they still have on our nation today. At the end of each discussion, participants will be given information about how they can get more involved in our community and become more civically engaged.
The final discussion, “Consent of the Governed," will be on Thursday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the YWCA featuring Dr. Robert Bradley, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University.
Registration is encouraged but it is not necessary to participate. To register, visit https://bit.ly/Democracy1776.
Questions? or for more information, please contact Candace Summers, Senior Director of Education at the Museum education@mchistory.org or 309-827-0428.