On March 31, the New Hampshire Institute of Politics hosted “The Big Watch” event in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The event consisted of a segment of Ken Burns’ film, “The American Revolution” followed by a community discussion. The featured segment “The Spirit of Service,” explored service as a core American value, from the nation’s founding through to the present day – examining volunteerism, civic participation, public leadership, and more.
“As we mark both the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 25th anniversary of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, ‘The Big Watch’ offered an opportunity to reflect on our founding ideals and their relevance today, connecting our students and community members in a shared exploration of liberty, service, and democracy, advancing our mission to engage citizens of all ages in civic life,” said Annmarie Camann, the NHIOP’s deputy director. “We are grateful to our collaborators—AARP New Hampshire, the Gregory J. Grappone Humanities Institute, and the History department at Saint Anselm College—along with Professor Emeritus Beth Salerno and our Kevin B. Harrington Student Ambassadors for contributing to the success of the program.”
Around eighty people attended the event, including NHIOP Ambassadors who moderated and recorded comments from each table. After viewing a portion of the film, the expert facilitators then guided thoughtful conversations about “remembering together.” The overall discussion was led by New Hampshire Humanities facilitator and retired Saint Anselm history professor Beth Salerno.
“I found the event to be a helpful way to foster discussion across generations about the importance of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution in the modern day,” shared John Fitzpatrick ’27. “Our table was particularly struck by details in the film that hadn't been mentioned in history classes of some of the older folks in the audience, but that some of us younger audience members had remembered from our American history classes in high school. After 250 years, the fight for independence and the establishment of our constitutional republic remains relevant, and the sentiments that drove these founders were understood and even relatable to our diverse table in 2026.”
There were two rounds with questions following each short excerpt from the movie. Some of the questions that were considered include: “What do you think colonists of all different kinds might have found powerful in the Declaration of Independence?” and “How can remembering and discussing our national or local past together help us build a future together?” As the night went on, the conversations continued to flow. Participants enjoyed learning more about the history of the Declaration of Independence leading up to the 250th anniversary of our nation.
"I very much enjoyed learning about the American Revolution through a new lens: the perspective of everyday Americans living through a period of immense change,” said Theo Burkhart ’27. “What was particularly meaningful, however, was the discussion I had the opportunity to facilitate. At our table, we discussed how the ideas and principles on which the United States was built have endured and how they are being challenged today."