Join us for a free, interactive, roundtable discussion about the Declaration of Independence on Dyckman Farmhouse Museum’s back porch!

Led by Professor Emeritus of American Studies and Journalism at Rutgers University Robert Snyder, participants will engage with select excerpts from the Declaration of Independence through close-reading exercises and discussion questions:

What does the Declaration suggest about its authors’ beliefs and grievances in 1776?  What does the Declaration mean to us today?  In 2026, what is the legacy of the American Revolution?  Bring your questions, arguments, and concerns to this Back Porch History! Class is officially in session!

Registered participants will electronically receive guidelines and a 2-page .pdf version of the Declaration of Independence to review before the discussion. Copies will also be available at the event.

Free — RSVP Required: register on Eventbrite

Robert Snyder is the Professor Emeritus of American Studies and Journalism at Rutgers University. He is the author of Crossing Broadway: Washington Heights and the Promise of New York and When the City Stopped: Stories from New York’s Essential Workers. Previously, Snyder served as the Manhattan Borough Historian for six years and was a Fulbright lecturer of American Studies in South Korea.