Nationally acclaimed historian and Harvard University professor Philip J. Deloria will present “Building a Nation in the Aftermath of Revolution: The Northwest Ordinance and the Creation of New American States” on Wednesday, July 22, at 6:00 p.m. at the Leland Public School Performing Arts Center.
Hosted by the Leelanau Historical Society, the lecture is part of the Society’s America 250 programming commemorating the semiquincentennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
As the United States celebrates this anniversary, communities across the country are reflecting on the people, places, and ideas that shaped the nation. Deloria’s presentation will examine how the United States established policies for westward expansion following the American Revolution, focusing on legislation including the Land Ordinance of 1785, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, and the Trade and Intercourse Act of 1790. By placing these laws within their historical and geographic context, Deloria will explore the ambitions and contradictions that defined the early American republic and continue to influence the nation today.
