Dear Friends,
I recently returned from a weekend at History Camp. History Camp?? My Instagram posts now get posted to Threads (where I’m a very occasional visitor), but right away people had questions: What’s History Camp? Is it like Band Camp, only nerdier? I answered as best I could: it’s a weekend held in a U.S. location (Boston, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Virginia, Colorado, and the upcoming one in Santa Fe) where history buffs gather. Anyone can make a presentation about any aspect of U.S. history. However, your presentation cannot be currently (i.e. post-Nixon) “political” and you cannot make a sales pitch for anything.
Threads
After I explained what the Camp was, more people followed me on Threads and wanted to know what I was writing about. Well, you know…Quakers. That answer usually gets no response, or perhaps more often people say, “I know a Quaker!” or “There are some Quakers in my family.” I soon connected with a Threads historian interested in Quakers and entered into a spirited discussion of “wireglass” plants and their inauthenticity. After some back-and-forth about the plant’s appearance in a Quaker-oriented chapter in Albion’s Seed I reverted to what I really wanted to talk about: the upcoming Semiquincentennial.
The what?
Do you remember the Bicentennial (200th Anniversary of 1776)? If you’re older, like me, and lived in the United States in 1976, you might. Do you remember “Bicentennial Minutes” on TV, celebrations in cities like Boston and Philadelphia, the “countdown” to the Bicentennial, and red white and blue everything?
Well, the Semiquincentennial is not only coming up in 2 years (2026 is the 250th anniversary of 1776), in some cities,.on the East Coast, it’s already here. Why? Because events leading up to the Revolution were taking place in 1774, and 1775.
We’re excited about the Semiquincentennial at History Camp!
Throughout the day, I met several people excited about the 250th. At breakfast, I met a reenactor from Lexington, Massachusetts who was getting ready for the anniversary with some Lexington events. Between sessions, I met someone from Revolution 250.org, an organization promoting Semiquincentennial events in Massachusetts. And at American Revolution- themed talks, I met some other AmRev authors excited about the anniversary.
So what is Boston doing and how is this anniversary different?
The most interesting session I attended was a panel of historic site directors who answered questions about “what the heck is happening in Boston for the 250th??” I found these directors to be particularly thoughtful and here’s why: although Americans may not have a common culture, we all share in a common history, one that could and should be explored if we are to understand ourselves and where we’re going.
How do we find a balance with so many stories to be told?
The directors said that they struggled with finding a balance between helping visitors learn the lesser- known stories of people of the American Revolution era (the enslaved, women, Loyalists (!), Native Americans), exploring myths and ideals (the ride of Paul Revere, brave Rebels, Paul Revere’s lantern in the church) and provide a comfortable place for a family who maybe just want to take a couple of family pictures at the site and then go get an ice cream cone. How could they explore history without politics (the director of Paul Revere house told a story about a visitor who felt shamed for being unvaccinated when a tour guide referred to the unvaccinated of Paul Revere’s time as being “stupid”)? How could these directors avoid dividing the people of the time into “victims” and “villains?” For example, how much do we really know about the Loyalists and their motivations? Answer: it’s complicated! And what could the directors do when they were having a bad day when they felt the United States is not leaning into its values of “liberty” and “justice for all” while at the same time holding up those ideals?
What about the port-a-potties?
And then: what if everyone sort of discovers the Semiquincentennial in 2026 and comes running to Boston? Do we have enough port-a -potties? Will there be a shuttle bus to Revolutionary sites in Roxbury or will people have to take a 90-minute T journey? Will anyone ever clean or replace the markers on the Freedom Trail? In short, what if you are hosting a kind of “history Olympics” but no one is planning for it, or really seems to care? And then everyone shows up??
So why does it matter?
Back to the title of this blog: I was grateful to History Camp for offering a place this month for people who think history is worth studying, discovering, and at times, dare I say, celebrating? History Camp is a place where we can explore issues like the Semiquincentennial without retreating into political groups. As we approach the 250th, I hope we’ll all use it as an opportunity for reflection, questions, new stories, and maybe holding up some ideals we’ve been neglecting. And I hope Boston and other cities are ready for the onslaught of the history nerds!
Happy summer’s end,
Kate
P.S. What are you doing for the Semiquincentennial?
P.P.S. I spent part of the summer helping to re-vamp Historical Novel Society of New York’s website. You can now listen to podcasts and watch videos of past events (and you may even catch me reading a bit of my WIP Quaker novel set in Maryland at Open Mic Night).
P.P.P.S. Yes, I am on Threads @holyexperiment1682 . Sort of. But rarely there. What has your experience been?