The Humanities and America at 250
Join the Dresher Center for the Humanities as we present a series of programs reflecting on and exploring the history and culture of the American Revolutionary era as we commemorate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
- The Library Gallery exhibition, Lewis Hine in Maryland, is open to the public through December 18, 2026. In July 1909, documentary photographer Lewis Hine (American, 1874–1940) visited Maryland, photographing child workers at Bottomley berry farms in Anne Arundel County and at the J. S. Farrand Packing Company in Baltimore. Drawn from UMBC’s Photography Collections, this exhibition explores the places and people behind these photographs. A selection of Hine’s most iconic and enduring images situates his Maryland work within the broader context of his documentary project.
Curatorial tour and opening reception, Thursday September 17, 5:00 p.m. in the AOK Library Gallery
- The Department of English presents a screening of In Search of Phillis Wheatley Peters, a 35-minute short film that reveals the little-known love story of Phillis Wheatley —America’s first published Black poet—and John Peters, a free Black man she married in 1778. Drawing from the groundbreaking scholarship of historian Dr. Cornelia Dayton, the film brings new archival discoveries to life, revealing the couple’s struggles for autonomy, dignity, and survival in Revolutionary-era Boston. Featuring insights from leading scholars and poets, the film reimagines Phillis not just as a literary icon, but as a woman who chose love, partnership, and resistance against extraordinary odds.
Click HERE to watch the trailer.
Film screening and discussion, Tuesday October 6, 5:00 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall
- The Department of History presents their annual Robert K. Webb Lecture with historian Sarah Pearsall. Pearsall will be discussing her new book, Freedom Round the Globe: How the World Made the American Revolution, in which she argues that the American Founding Fathers did not have a unique claim on the revolutionary spirit. In Freedom Round the Globe, Pearsall uncovers the insurgents, freedom lovers, and dreamers in India, West Africa, North America, Europe, China, and West Indian islands who shaped the nature of American rebellion and nationhood.
Lecture, Tuesday October 27, 4:00 p.m. in the AOK Library Gallery