Freedom Gets a ForumWhat have terms such as "freedom" and "liberty" meant in the American past? What are the legacies of the American Revolution? A month before the release of Mel Gibson's new summer movie, The Patriot, which parades such questions in front of mass audiences while obscuring meaningful answers, the National Park Service hosted a history symposium in Boston that shed much light. On 2 to 3 June 2000, the NPS's "Changing Meanings of Freedom" symposium marked the 225th anniversary of the American Revolution. It brought together more than 300 precollegiate teachers, college/university faculty, NPS staff, and Evidence of the symposium's success was abundant. Despite a violent thunderstorm, a crowd of 450 turned out for David McCullough's opening address at Old South Meeting House. His discussion of his forthcoming joint biography of John and Abigail Adams drew a standing ovation--a rare accolade for a historical talk--and set the tone of enthusiastic engagement that characterized the rest of the symposium. Eric Foner's presentation on The Story of American Freedom kicked off Saturday's sessions, which took place at Suffolk University Law School, located along Freedom Trail in downtown Boston. This comfortable facility also housed a complementary museum exhibit, and the law school bookstore, which had stocked a large number of books by program participants, had bare shelves by the end of the day. Attendance on Saturday included nearly fifty NPS staff from a variety of Revolutionary War-related sites and more than 100 Massachusetts elementary and secondary education teachers, many of whom earned ten professional development points from the Massachusetts Department of Education. Pauline Maier, Ed Countryman, and Joseph J. Ellis discussed what the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights meant to the founders. Linda Kerber, Jim Horton, Gary Nash, and Massachusetts State Representative Byron Rushing explored the limits of the Revolution for African Americans, women, and Native Americans. On the last panel, Barbara Clark Smith, Alfred Young, and David Hackett Fischer talked about interpreting the revolution through sculpture, monuments, and historic sites. Alfred Young--who focused on memory and the American Revolution and how elite patriots and well-bred Bostonians deliberately eclipsed the contribution of working class radicals, such as shoemaker George Robert Twelve Hewes, as well as African Americans and other non-elite revolutionaries--will be circulating the full version of his talk among Boston National Historical Park staff and Freedom Trail sites. Thanks to support from NPS Chief Historian Dwight Pitcaithley, Young will be meeting with NPS interpretive staff later this year to discuss the implications for commemorative sites. The symposium was a continuation of the NPS and OAH's joint efforts to deepen the public's understanding of history. Such endeavors are crucial when so many Americans are learning about their past from Hollywood. Together we can open discussion rather than obscure it. John R. Dichtl |
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other historians to examine the "contested terrain" of freedom and how it has been constantly created and recreated. Eric Foner's 1998 book The Story of American Freedom was the inspiration for the symposium. Conference organizer Marty Blatt, historian and chief of cultural resources at Boston National Historical Park, arranged a stellar cast of speakers for the two-day event and coordinated the support of the Boston 2000's Boston Freedom Award, The History Channel, Suffolk University, Massachusetts Historical Society, Freedom Trail sites, the National Park Service, OAH, and others.