CRHC Conference, Stories in the Park Exhibition -- Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: Past, Present, and Future

The United States of America is celebrating its 250th birthday! It started with a powerful claim: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." That first generation of soon-to-be American citizens then affirmed the right of the People to organize along these principles. In the 250 years that followed the Declaration of Independence, the people of Southeast Ohio from all walks of life helped to define the meaning of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Their stories of realizing the promises of the Declaration of Independence shaped our past and inform our present. This Stories in the Park Exhibition (Richland Avenue Park) shares some of these stories with help from historic and cultural institutions from across Athens County. It invite viewers to reflect on what the Declaration of Independence means to you and to the future of our communities and country. This exhibition was curated by Ohio University students who participated in the CRHC-NEH Summer Internship program in partnership with the Athens County Public Library. It was made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.