Next month, the eyes of the world will turn to Lexington and Concord. April 19 marks the first battle of the Revolutionary War -- the shot heard 'round the world -- and this year kicks off commemorations of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, events that will unfold across the nation through 2026.
Recent questions about Massachusetts’s readiness for the Semiquincentennial have focused on who bears responsibility for the preparations, how we compare to other states, and where and when the biggest celebrations will take place.
The milestone anniversary is a significant opportunity for economic development. The tourism industry in Massachusetts employs more than 150,000 people, and the coming year should benefit the residents and businesses who depend on travelers for their livelihoods. State and local officials deserve our thanks for the years of planning that will culminate in reenactments, parades, and special events in every corner of the Commonwealth.
Yet the most important questions about the 250th are the ones that remain unanswered: Why is the Revolution important today? And to whom?
The ways that leaders, tourists, and locals in Massachusetts respond to these questions can energize the collective imagination of our state at this critical point in the nation’s journey. If we truly wish to compete with our fellow patriots in Pennsylvania and Virginia, let us follow the example of Samuel Adams. Let us be bold about our beliefs and the messages we send to the nation.
To do this, we must create avenues of engagement for residents and visitors who aren’t instantly inspired by a tricornered hat, but who find hope in the promises of the Revolution, the same promises we still fight for today: equality for all, freedom from tyranny, and a representative democracy.
This is no small challenge. The promises of the Revolution belong to all of us, but not all of us see the Revolution as ours. Our ancestors may have called this land home for thousands of years, or reached this continent long after the 18th century, or been brought here against their will. Generations of people gravitated to the United States because of the promises made in 1776; generations of people here and abroad suffer when those promises go unmet. Unsurprisingly, this leaves many Americans wondering what, exactly, we are celebrating.
Similar concerns surrounded the Bicentennial. Memories of 1976 remain strong in Boston, where visits from Queen Elizabeth II , President Gerald Ford, and the tall ships created excitement at a challenging time for the city and the country.
Seeking to lift the shadows of Watergate, the busing crisis, and Vietnam, the anniversary generated much-needed nostalgia that provided a contrast to contemporary events. It is tempting to simply run it back, to reenact 1976 and take a build-it-and-they-will-come approach.
In 2026, this would be a missed opportunity for Massachusetts. Our democracy is at a crossroads. A simplistic, reheated version of the Revolution will only reinforce efforts to sanitize our history.
We still have time to make the 250th matter. The moment calls for Massachusetts to reimagine its history, what it means to tell that history, and who belongs in our unfolding story.
At Mass Humanities, we see the potential for a statewide commemoration that meets this moment. Since launching our Expand Massachusetts Stories initiative in 2021, we have seen the powerful response of residents who turn to history to catalyze change at the local level.
Whether reopening archives in Gloucester to listen to the voices of the enslaved, celebrating the contributions of the Cambodian community in Amherst, or recording the memories and hopes of Latino residents in Lowell, these local leaders exemplify the promises made during the Revolution. With the support of the Barr Foundation and Mass Cultural Council, more than 130 organizations have joined this storytelling movement in the last four years. Importantly, they show that those promises are still there to be honored and fulfilled in this state.
This month, Mass Humanities announced a new funding opportunity, “Promises of the Revolution,” to support projects that explore the legacies of the American Revolution. We plan to distribute at least $600,000 in total funding through this opportunity, and we hope to attract more resources to meet high demand for scarce funding. We call for projects that explore the core promises made by the Declaration of Independence: equality for all; the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and the belief that the power of any government rests on the consent of the people. Rather than limit this opportunity and the Revolution to a specific era, we will support projects that tell stories from before, during, and since 1776. We welcome stories of freedom movements, equal rights, and struggles against oppression.
We hope that our community centers, museums, libraries, town halls, and classrooms will fill with the voices and languages of the many residents, past and present, who make this state worth fighting for.
Long after the musket smoke cleared, Massachusetts continued to lead the way towards the realization of those original promises. Visitors may arrive to tour our battlefields and hallowed halls. They should leave with a renewed sense of our values, the vibrancy of our communities, and our unique role, not only in the roots of the Revolution, but in the future of our democracy. | 
