The Role & Purpose of Historical Commemoration in the 21st Century

Recorded October 2, 2019 - There's something irresistible about an anniversary. Maine's Bicentennial, the Centennial of women's suffrage, the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence -- all invite public commemoration. But what are we doing when we mark these anniversaries? Celebrating our past? Interrogating it? Something else entirely? Listen to National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jon Parrish Peede, on the purpose of historical commemoration in our current age. Presented in partnership by the Maine Humanities Council, Maine Suffrage Centennial, and Maine Historical Society.