Keefe Colloquium in the Public Humanities

Lehigh Valley 250 shared the Keefe Colloquium in the Public Humanities, the first of many community events featuring compelling stories about the ordinary people of the region who led extraordinary lives and made pivotal contributions to the early growth of the nation.

Last month on the campus of Lafayette College, members of the community gathered to listen to panel discussions by scholars, students, and curators, that offered new perspectives on the Lehigh Valley's role in the birth of the nation. The research and scholarship presented will be the foundation for a series of exhibits offered to commemorate 250 years of American democracy in 2026.

“Conversations and sharing knowledge make up the foundation of exhibition planning that incorporates multiple voices from academic researchers to the lived experience of community members. The Keefe Colloquium in the Public Humanities is one of the first steps to ensure this project is truly based in the community,” said Dr. Rico Reyes, director of galleries and the curator of collections at Lafayette College.

This event was made possible with generous support to Lafayette College from the Keefe Family Foundation. Additional support for Lehigh Valley 250 has been provided by the following funders:

Bergh Family Foundation
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Max Kade Foundation
Keystone Savings Foundation
William T. Morris Foundation
National Endowment for the Humanities

Event Videos

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Welcome and opening remarks from Megan van Ravenswaay, Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society, Rico Reyes of Lafayette College, and Maurice Luker of Lafayette College.

Opening Comments

Representative Michael Schlossberg from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives offered opening comments. Rep. Schlossberg is from the 132nd District, Lehigh County.

Panel Discussion: Inclusive History - The Importance of Finding and Sharing Under-Documented Stories

In 1976, during the United States’ Bicentennial, the narrative of the American Revolution was told through the grand story of the founding fathers. Today, in approaching 2026, historians and historic sites are working to tell the story of the country’s birth through underrepresented people in our nation’s history, including women, people of color, people of a variety of faiths and social classes, and Indigenous peoples. This panel discusses the importance of (and difficulties around) finding those stories and sharing them with the public.

Panel Discussion: Primary Documents and Research Methodologies

From the Declaration of Independence to the written accounts and journals and letters of private citizens, scholars will share the opportunities and challenges of utilizing primary documents in their research process and how these documents present new opportunities to consider new inquiries, perspectives, and scholarship that highlight the role of the region’s peoples in the nation’s origin.

Panel Discussion: Lehigh Valley as Captain of Industry - Now and Then

The Lehigh Valley was the center point of transformation in industry and transportation that enabled a fledgling United States to maintain its independence and lay the foundations for the country’s economic strength today. Scholars will reflect on the stories of local revolutionaries in the spheres of industry and transportation in the late-18th and early-19th centuries, as well as the social impact of industrialization and how innovation remains an influence in modern times.

Panel Discussion: Communicating the Revolution - Material Culture

Information, language, and the spread of material things throughout the broader world were important tools for communicating new ideas, news, rumor, and for asserting identity during the American Revolution. This panel explores the importance of tangible things that were created, spread, and used in the eighteenth century, and the vital role they played in the Revolutionary period.

Remarks from Office of President, Lafayette College

Nicole Eramo, Chief of Staff, Lafayette College, provided comments and remarks from the Office of the President, Nicole Hurd.

Keynote Presentation

The Keynote Presentation was presented by Dr. Scott Gordon of Lehigh University. In 1784, a formerly enslaved woman, Magdalena, leveled serious charges at Moravian authorities in Bethlehem, where she still lived. Gordon discusses her letter, which is remarkable both for what it does and does not say, and other materials produced by enslaved and formerly enslaved laborers in eighteenth century Northampton County. He also explores the challenges of telling stories about enslaved people, whose voices archives usually preserve in distorted forms.