Admission is Free • No Registration Required

Join Lewes 250 for an engaging afternoon with historian Christopher R. Pearl, author of Declarations of Independence: Indigenous Resilience, Colonial Rivalries, and the Cost of Revolution.

While many associate July 4, 1776, with the birth of American independence, this compelling presentation explores a much broader and more complex story. Pearl examines how Indigenous nations, colonial settlers, land speculators, and imperial officials each shaped the meaning of independence during the Revolutionary era. Through the lens of the Northern Susquehanna River Valley, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the struggles over land, sovereignty, and survival that helped define the founding of the United States.

Christopher Pearl is an Associate Professor and Chair of History at Lycoming College and an award-winning scholar specializing in early American history and the American Revolution. His book has been recognized with the Walker Cowen Memorial Prize for outstanding scholarship in eighteenth-century studies.

Following the presentation, Pearl will be interviewed by Ronald Collins, the Lewes Public Library's Distinguished Lecturer.

Author-signed copies of Declarations of Independence will be available for purchase through Browseabout Books.

Join us as we continue Lewes 250's celebration of America's Semiquincentennial by exploring the many perspectives that shaped our nation's founding and the enduring stories that continue to influence our understanding of history today.