America 250 Planning Session & Conversation w/ Ira Allen Biographer

Come and connect with others who are interested in working on plans to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026.

This monthly meeting space on the 4th Wednesdays is dedicated for those who would like the opportunity to connect, collaborate, and work on projects that align with Vermont’s 250th Anniversary Commission’s mission to “…inspire all Vermonters to learn from the history, legacy, and context of the past to build strong Vermont communities for the future.”

The space is being hosted by Brooks Memorial Library, Vermont Independent Media (The Commons) and Windham World Affairs Council, with support from the Vermont Humanities Council. We are already working together on a collaboration entitled, ‘Examining American Identity and Leadership in a Changing World’ – and have joined America 250, a national initiative asking communities to plan for how to commemorate the 250th year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Its mission is to provide opportunities for all Americans to pause and reflect on our nation’s past & present, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look to the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.

Note : the planning session will start at 6 PM for one hour.  At 7 PM,  Vermont historian J. Kevin Graffagnino will give a presentation of his new book, “Ira Allen: A Biography”, as part of our local America 250 events in commemoration of America’s Semi quincentennial next year. Participants are free to attend one, or both, of the events.

Based on his new book “Ira Allen: A Biography,” Graffagnino’s lively talk evaluates Allen’s checkered career and makes the case for including him in the picture of Vermont’s formative decades. According to the author’s press release, “Land speculator, revolutionary, pamphleteer, politician, and empire-builder, Ira Allen was a key figure on the late eighteenth-century Green Mountain frontier.”

The author will be bringing signed copies of his book for purchase.

Based in Essex, Vermont, Graffagnino is the author or editor of more than a dozen books on Vermont history. Over the years, he has served as the executive director of the state historical societies in Vermont and Kentucky, and as director of the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan.

This talk is brought to our community through a joint effort of the Brattleboro Literary Festival, Brattleboro Historical Society, Brooks Memorial Library, and Windham World Affairs Council’s ‘Examining American Identity and Leadership in a Changing World’, a collaborative initiative working to support America 250 events in this region. The event is free and open to the public, with light refreshments to be served. It is made possible, in part, through the generosity of the Vermont Humanities Council.

The event is free & open to the public.  No registration is necessary.