Department of History celebrates Democracy Day

History students celebrated Democracy Day with a trip to the Barchas Room in Green Library. Led by Professor Caroline Winterer, they explored an “American History petting zoo” of 32 curated objects on display. Objects ranged from the only book signed by both Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, which is a copy of John Milton’s Paradise Lost, to a 1774 oversized folio of engraved flora and fauna from the Carolinas, Florida, and the Bahamas made for the queen of England. There was also a letter from George Washington, a 1776 copy of common sense and, a class favorite, two dictionaries “of the vulgar tongue” dated 1785 and 1811. Students were encouraged to interact with the books, touch, and take pictures, and reflect on their significance in colonial America.

- Evan Ludington (Peer Advisor, '26)