Special Issue of the Journal Amerikastudien Marking the 250th Anniversary of the Signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence

With the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary, the United States and its founding history have taken center stage in public interest around the world. However, hardly any other historical date is as hotly debated in the United States as the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776: While for many the date symbolizes freedom, democracy, and self-determination, others point to the contradictions in American founding history—particularly the exclusion of women, enslaved people, and Indigenous peoples. This anniversary year makes it clear that debates about history are always also debates about a society’s present and future.

“With contributions from the fields of literature, culture, history, and political science, this special issue of Amerikastudien examines how the American Declaration of Independence has been repeatedly reinterpreted, celebrated, criticized, and politically instrumentalized for over two centuries. 1776 is not a static historical reference point, but a cultural symbol that is continually contested,” explains American studies scholar Dr. Antonia Purk from the University of Mannheim, who, together with Dr. Alexandra Hartmann (University of Paderborn), is the guest editor of this issue of the journal.

This special issue combines historical perspectives with current debates and analyzes both artistic discourse and contemporary political conflicts—ranging from the culture of remembrance to today’s cultural struggles. The journal is available via Open Access.

Link to the issue: https://amst.winter-verlag.de/ 

This text was translated from German by DeepL