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Jan Wyatt Symposium: We Hold These Truths: WNC and America at 250
This year’s program, “We Hold These Truths: Western North Carolina and America at 250,” examines the legacies of America’s founding in western North Carolina. It looks at the complex narratives that shape the history and culture of the region. We’ll examine how Cherokee, women, and African Americans experienced our nation’s founding ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Once colonial America’s westernmost boundary, the Appalachian Mountains sparked a revolution over expansionist ideals for a new nation. In the years since America’s founding, people in the region experienced the promises of the founding documents differently. Faced with removal, enslavement, and disenfranchisement, people in the region had to fight for the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence long after the document was signed. In the 250 years since America’s creation, individuals and social movements worked to expand the promises of the founding document to include all people.
The event includes a slate of speakers, presentations, and a catered lunch at Lewis Hall in the center of Cashiers at The Village Green.
