America 250: The celebration is on

On July 4, 2026, the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The document is so famous and iconic that, in a weird way, we can forget about it, thinking we know it when, in truth, we don't. But the declaration deserves a close look. It did nothing less than sever ties between our 13 original colonies and Great Britain. Equally profound, it established foundational ideas of equality, the rights to life, liberty and an always surprisingly modern and highly personal concept - the pursuit of happiness.

"Imagine the drama of the moment, the colonies deciding that they are going to break from the most powerful empire in the world and create a government dedicated to timeless ideas," said Andrew Finstuen, dean of the Honors College, interim dean of the College of Education and director of the Institute for Advancing American Values. "When these men (56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress) signed the Declaration of Independence, their lives were on the line. And that's not an exaggeration. If the colonies had lost the war, the signers would have been first on the list for the British to track down."

Attendees in the atrium of the Center for the Visual Arts on Feb. 13. This legislative reception welcomed lawmakers to campus to help kick off America250 festivities. Photo by Priscilla Grover

Finstuen is leading efforts on campus and partnering with state agencies to recognize this moment in our collective history.

Follow events throughout the year, find information about ongoing legacy projects, festivities, educational opportunities and happenings across the state: America250.idaho.gov

Why is recognizing milestones important?

Andrew Finstuen: "If you think about the U.S. the way we think about a person's life, milestones matter. We mark anniversaries and transitions because they help us pause, reflect and take stock. As a nation, that's what these moments do, too.

What's remarkable about the United States is that it isn't grounded in lineage, royalty, or church authority in the way most Western nations are. It's an experiment built around shared principles - an idea more than a bloodline. Lineage and origins still matter, of course - we talk about fourth- or fifth-generation Idahoans, religious roots - but our core story is different.

Humans are drawn to symmetry and round numbers, 50, 100, 200, 250. They invite ritual. And in America, we're still inventing those rituals. We're a young country, so each milestone becomes a chance to define who we are - and who we want to be."

What America250 initiative began at Boise State?

Reading the Republic, from Boise State's Institute for Advancing American Values, invites people to choose a famous American document from a list of 10, read it, talk about it with another person (perhaps someone who thinks very differently) and record their thoughts for inclusion in a public archive.

(Click on Boise State University Institute for Advancing American Values under the America250 State Resources heading. )

Choice of documents includes the Declaration of Independence, naturally, but also significant essays ranging from the Edenton Ladies Agreement (1774, calling for the boycott of British tea) to George Washington's 1799 eulogy and dazzlers in between, including Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death" speech from 1775.

How did Reading the Republic begin?

Student Natalie Rivera in the Keith and Catherine Stein Luminary where historical documents were displayed during the legislative reception. Photo by Priscilla Grover

Reading the Republic began as an assignment in Finstuen's Honors 392 class of the same name, first taught in spring 2025. Finstuen said he wanted his students to engage with the voices in American documents to develop a sense of how bold the happenings in the 1700s truly were, and how they remain relevant. "In the revolutionary era, differing ideas were at the very core of the founding of America," he said.

He urges students and anyone else to participate in the public version of Reading the Republic on the state website, then to continue reading down through the centuries, writers like Elizabeth Cady Stanton, writer and leader of the women's rights movement in the U.S. and Frederick Douglas, writer and orator in the movement for Black civil rights.

"We all need a reminder of the tradition of thought that has shaped the country. Because guess what? The American experiment is a living thing. Know your tradition," Finstuen said. "Vote, read, talk to people. Make American tradition alive for yourself. Our participation keeps the experiment going."

Reading the Republic will continue as an online course for credit through Extended Studies.

What did Reading the Republic mean to students?

Alum Ethan LaHaug (BS, psychology and political science, 2025) grew up in Boise. He is a first-year student at the University of Idaho College of Law and was in Finstuen's Reading the Republic course.

Q. What was the value of this course for you?

EL: I have nothing but good to say about the course. At the end of the course, Dr. Finstuen gave us an oral exam in which we had to synthesize perspectives on American history. I read the writings of a former slave and the writings of a slave owner. For one thing, the oral exam format helped prepare me for what I'm doing now. I just had a contracts oral exam for which I had to speak to professors for an hour-and-a-half.

More broadly, Finstuen's class exposed us to thinkers from every era and across the spectrum: liberals and conservatives, business leaders, philosophers, enslaved people and slave owners, and women writing at a time when they were largely excluded from the public sphere. There were frequent and sometimes fervent disagreements among writers, but walking through American history in this way gave me perspectives on the country I hadn't considered before. It helped me better appreciate what America is and how we became who we are.

EL: One of the most valuable aspects of the course was the way it intentionally structured the readings to place opposing sides and different worldviews in conversation with each other. I would read one piece and think, I can see that, then read a piece from an opposing viewpoint and think, hold on, I agree with that, too - how can this be possible? That tension carried into class discussions, where Dr. Finstuen added even more perspectives. It also made clear how many of the issues we're wrestling with now - questions about wealth, ethics and responsibility, for example - were already being grappled with by figures like Andrew Carnegie (class readings included Carnegie's "The Gospel of Wealth," from 1889. The essay argues that the wealthy have a moral obligation to use their fortunes for the public good - as in the more than 1,200 public libraries Carnegie built in cities, including Boise).

Q. Anything interesting stick in your mind that you would want someone to know?

EL: I personally don't like AI. This course lends itself to being resilient to AI takeover. It asks you to read material, come up with your own opinion, sharpen that opinion and come to a conclusion that is yours alone. The course teaches students how to think, not what to think.

On-campus events in the America250 spirit:

Boise State Listens: The conversation series features a quiet audience and student speakers sharing the values that guide them: 7-8:30 p.m., Feb. 25 at the Special Events Center.

Bronco Convos offer facilitated conversations on current issues and a space to explore, discuss and hear different viewpoints. All events begin at noon in the Student Union Building.

Upcoming: Feb. 24 in the Alexander Room, March 10 in the Trueblood Room, March 27 in the Bishop Barnwell Room, April 10 and April 23 in the Trueblood Room.

Students K'Lee Burbank and Ty Jordan in the The Keith and Catherine Stein Luminary. Photo by Priscilla Grover

The back story: Why is Boise State involved in America250?

The Idaho State Board of Education recently passed a resolution aimed at strengthening civic knowledge and civic practice in higher education. While Idaho's colleges and universities have long taught civics through fields like political science and history, national surveys show that basic civic understanding has waned, Finstuen said. The board wants to reverse that trend. Boise State is part of that work. The Institute for Advancing American Values received funding to help students and the broader public better understand how democracy works - and, in this anniversary year, why it matters.

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