Fairfield University’s History Department is drawing dozens of students each month to lectures in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Earlier this month, the department held the first lecture of the year on the foundation of civil rights, with about 50 students in attendance for a presentation by Dr. Shannon King, an associate professor and historian of the Black freedom struggle outside the South.

In an interview with The Mirror, Dr. Patricia Behre, who is an associate professor of history and the chair of the History department, said that the series of conversations on American history comes from a desire to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the country, but is also a way to “make a stand for history in general.”

“We wanted to give students the experience of having the historians they know best, which is their classroom professors, explore American history with them in a very informal, friendly, public way,” Behre added.

The events, all held at 5:30 p.m. on the lower level of the Barone Campus Center, have drawn large crowds. Last year, a lecture on Nov. 19 was so well attended that students were sitting on the floor and on a nearby staircase. 

According to Behre, the reception from other faculty members has been positive. 

“Faculty members have reported to me that the event has sparked good discussions in class the day after or within the week after, from their students who were there,” Behre expressed, adding that the department is “quite happy with the response.”

The department held three different events last year as part of its inaugural programming on America 250, with lectures on the foundations of the American experiment, the separation of church and state and the origins of basic legal rights in the United States.

This year, the department is continuing its conversation series, with a lecture next Tuesday focusing on women’s engagement with the American experiment. The event will be led by Dr. Anna Lawrence and Dr. Elizabeth Hohl, both faculty members of the history department.

At a time when history seems unsettled and is reportedly being removed from national parks, Behre emphasized the importance of studying “the full range” of American history, including parts that might not be comfortable for Americans.

“We thought it was very important for us to be engaged in that discussion with our students, so as to make the stand for studying all aspects of American history, the comfortable parts [and] the uncomfortable parts,” Behre said when discussing recent developments in how history is displayed across the nation, including last year’s changes at the National Museum of American History on President Donald Trump’s impeachment.

The lecture series will conclude on April 15 with a conversation on the American Presidency by Professor Laurence Jurdem, who is releasing a new book later this year on President George H.W. Bush.