Call for papers/teaching demonstrations
On Thursday 9 April 2026, Avon Old Farms School, in Avon, CT, will host a conference dedicated to “The Meanings and Uses of the Declaration of Independence at 250 Years.” We seek proposals for papers or lessons relevant to the conference theme.
We are especially interested in papers/demos shedding light on how the Declaration has informed various civil rights movements, evolving understandings of the preamble’s ideals of equality, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” implications for limited government and a right to revolution, historical contexts influencing the Declaration’s writing, international uses of the Declaration, legal and social impact of the Declaration over time, the iconography of “1776,” and other creative paths to deeper understanding of the document and its legacies.
Avon Old Farms has a track-record for hosting conferences that bring together academic historians, secondary educators, and high-school students, and we encourage submissions from college professors and secondary educators.
Pulitzer-Prize winning historian David Blight will give the keynote address at this event.
Proposals should run 200-300 words. Submissions should include a brief c.v. and note on sources to be used.
Deadline for submissions is October 1 with acceptances determined by October 31.
Submit proposals to Dr. Chris Doyle at doylec@avonoldfarms.com