The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. As the library celebrates this anniversary, we are not only recognizing this important semi quincentennial of the founding of the United States of America but also exploring topics of freedom and democracy that are part of our shared American history. Throughout this year, the Library has organized a wide variety of programs and activities to commemorate this important celebration. In addition to our scheduled programming, recommended reading lists and watch lists have also been added to our America 250 webpage.
Cow Neck in the Revolution, a new local history exhibit, is on display in the History Center Annex from June through December 2026. Featuring objects and artifacts from both the archives of The History Center at the Port Washington Public Library and the collections of the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, the exhibit explores what life was like here in Revolutionary-era Port Washington and highlights three local families who were involved in the war.
America 250th Booklist
Upcoming America 250 Events
Revolutionary Reads Sponsored by the Ruth D. Bogen Memorial Fund
Join fellow readers at the library for an engaging discussion of 1776 by David McCullough on Tuesday April 7th at 1:30 pm.
In this masterful book, David McCullough tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence—when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.
Based on extensive research in both American and British archives, 1776 is a powerful drama written with extraordinary narrative vitality. It is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color; farmers, schoolteachers, shoemakers, no-accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. And it is the story of the King’s men, the British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel foes with contempt and fought with a valor too little known.
Written as a companion work to his celebrated biography of John Adams, David McCullough’s 1776 is another landmark in the literature of American history.
Copies will be available at the Information Desk or on Libby.
1:30pm - 3:30pm View Details
Sandwiched In with Janis Schachter - Birth of Freedom
Join Janis Schachter, a former journalist-turned social studies teacher as she explores the ideals of freedom our nation was founded on and how they have changed over time. With “Four score and seven years ago,” Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address directed our attention to 1776 and the aspirational words of the Declaration of Independence. He then declared a “new birth of freedom,” calling on Americans to recommit themselves to those words — a commitment Martin Luther King would refer to in his “I Have a Dream” speech 100 years later. What meaning did - and does - Lincoln’s call for a “new birth of freedom” have for Americans?
Janis Schachter was the New York State Council for Social Studies distinguished educator in 2020, and in 2021 was named a silver laureate by the international organization Global Youth and News Media for her work in news literacy.
This program is part of the Library's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
12:00pm - 1:30pm View Details
Sandwiched In with Dennis Raverty - Grant Wood's America
Join award winning teacher and art historian Dennis Raverty as he explores Grant Wood's iconic painting American Gothic of 1930 which has become emblematic of the simple but noble plight of Midwestern farmers during the era of the dust bowl and the Great Depression. But it also implies a subtle critique of rural life, a proud but often overly exclusionary, conservative and narrow view. Wood's painting thereby shows an affinity with the social realism prevalent in big cities as well as that movement's biting social critique. Wood reveals the lives of quiet desperation lurking behind the social mask of American conformity.
This program is part of the Library's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a 'hybrid' event that can be attended either "In-Person" or "Online" on the Zoom platform. You can choose which option you wish to register for below in the "Attend In-Person" OR "Attend Online" choices below.
12:00pm - 1:30pm View Details
Art Lecture with Alice Iglehart - Myer Myers - Jewish American Silversmith
Myer Myers, a Jewish silversmith in colonial America, created outstanding works for leading members of the New York elite. Join museum educator, Alice W. Iglehart in an exploration of his exquisite objects, long regarded as among the most important American statements of the Rococo style.
This program is part of the Library's celebration on Jewish-American Heritage Month as well as the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a 'hybrid' event that can be attended either "In-Person" or "Online" on the Zoom platform. You can choose which option you wish to register for below in the "Attend In-Person" OR "Attend Online" choices below.
12:00pm - 1:30pm View Details