American Antiquarian Society Invites the Public to Experience America’s Story on the 250th Anniversary

President Scott Casper reflects on America’s continuing pursuit of a “more perfect union” and previews a July 4 celebration featuring rare Revolutionary-era treasures.

“It’s extraordinary for a Republic to last 250 years. It’s extraordinary that we continue to ask many of the same questions that people were asking in the late 1700s.”

By-Hank Stolz
Graphic – Radio Worcester

WORCESTER, MA-As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Scott Casper, president of the American Antiquarian Society, says one of America’s greatest achievements is not perfection—but its continued willingness to pursue it.

Speaking with Hank Stolz on Radio Worcester, Casper reflected on the nation’s remarkable longevity and the enduring questions Americans continue to ask about democracy, freedom and citizenship.

“It’s extraordinary for a Republic to last 250 years. It’s extraordinary that we continue to ask many of the same questions that people were asking in the late 1700s.”

Casper emphasized that the Declaration of Independence established ideals rather than promises of perfection.

“We’re never perfect. We’re never done. The whole idea is to make us more perfect, to keep working toward those ideals that we see laid out in 1776.”

Both Casper and Stolz recalled the excitement surrounding America’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976. While many remember that year as a time of national unity, Casper noted that history is often remembered more fondly than it actually unfolded.

“The Bicentennial was on the heels of the Vietnam War and Watergate, some of the most divisive episodes in American history,” he said. “So, it wasn’t all fun and games.”

To help Central Massachusetts residents connect directly with America’s past, the American Antiquarian Society is opening its doors on Friday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Visitors will have the rare opportunity to view:

• Original printings of the Declaration of Independence from 1776
• Artifacts connected to the Boston Tea Party
• Historic materials from Fort McHenry
• Rare documents spanning the nation’s first century (1776–1876)

Guests will also be able to print their own copy of the Declaration of Independence using tabletop printing presses before gathering for a public reading of the Declaration at noon on the steps of Antiquarian Hall.

Founded in 1812 by patriot, printer and publisher Isaiah Thomas, the American Antiquarian Society has spent more than two centuries preserving the printed record of early America.

Casper hopes visitors leave with something deeper than historical knowledge.

“We want people today to have a similar kind of excitement about American history and about the actual stuff of that history—not just the stories that we tell, but the actual documents and materials because that’s what gets your hands on the past.”