A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future, presented by Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site

FAIN: TA-310003-26

Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc. (Philadelphia, PA 19130-2610)
Lauren Zalut (Project Director: July 2025 to present)

A series of public programs and exhibitions that explore the birth of American democracy and ideas about liberty.

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site proposes a robust suite of interpretive public programming titled A Time for Liberty: Our Shared History, Our Shared Future. This initiative will illuminate the profound influence of the Enlightenment and the Founding Era on the birth of American democracy and the concurrent evolution of the American justice system. Drawing directly from the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, natural rights, individual liberty, government by consent, and the pursuit of a more perfect union, this initiative will invite audiences of all ages into conversation around our shared civic inheritance. Throughout this project, Eastern State will host 14 public panel discussions, launch 6 family-friendly community festivals, and create 3 "Pop Up" exhibits connecting Eastern State's archives to the Semiquincentennial.