As America turns 250 this Independence Day, the History Department at Bowling Green State University is coming together with the local community to honor America’s semiquincentennial with the Threads of Democracy project, featuring public events running from September 2026 through Spring 2027.

BGSU was one of 71 organizations to receive grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support efforts to create programming centered around a book from the NEA Big Read Library. Marking 250 years of the American story, the library celebrates the country’s culture, history and resilience through the eyes of citizens. BGSU was awarded $20,000 for programming centered around the book “Betsy Ross and the Making of America,” by historian Marla Miller, Ph.D.

“The signing of the Declaration of Independence 250 years ago is an important milestone to commemorate and a great way to bring the country together,” said Kristin Schnerer, outreach coordinator for the BGSU Department of History. “The significance of that document goes far beyond the United States, as the Declaration of Independence has influenced other movements in the time since the signatories sent their declaration across the Atlantic Ocean.”

America 250 kick-off event

BGSU and the Department of History will host the America 250 kick-off event in late September 2026. Free and open to the public, the event will include Todd Kleismit, executive director of Ohio250, alongside remarks from Bowling Green city officials and others from BGSU.

“The event will feature speakers commemorating America 250 and tie in themes from ‘Betsy Ross and the Making of America,’” Schnerer said. “We hope to provide guests with a broader understanding and appreciation of the America 250 events and highlight our upcoming programming.”

Historian and author Marla Miller

Partnering with the Wood County District Public Library, BGSU will welcome author and historian Marla Miller to the public library atrium this fall. Miller is the author of the book “Betsy Ross and the Making of America,” a comprehensive biography that separates the legend from the facts of Betsy Ross's life, portraying her as a skilled artisan and businesswoman in Revolutionary-era Philadelphia, not just the mythical first flag maker.

During the presentation, which is free and open to the public, Miller will discuss her book and her research on early American history, American material culture and women and gender.

“The Department of History and the College of Arts and Sciences at BGSU have a long track record of bringing speakers to campus who are experts in their fields of history and public policy,” Schnerer said. “Bringing in Marla Miller is a wonderful opportunity to share a learning experience with more than students. We are hopeful that community members will enjoy and learn from this event.”

Thematic book talks

In January, February and March 2027, the public is invited to three book talks focused on a variety of themes from “Betsy Ross and the Making of America.” Free and open to the public, these events will offer insight into what it was like to be a woman in early America and the importance of textile work throughout American history.

Coinciding with Women’s History Month, the final book talk is scheduled for March 2027. The guest speaker will be Andrea Freimuth, Ph.D., a Bluffton University history professor and recent graduate of the American Cultural Studies program at BGSU. Event details are still being finalized for the other book talks.

Community quilt project - Threads of Democracy

Building on the theme of “Betsy Ross and the Making of America,” BGSU, the Wood County Committee on Aging and the Wood County District Public Library are coming together to provide northwest Ohio community members with the opportunity to create their own quilt square as part of the Threads of Democracy project.

From Fall 2026 through March 2027, several Community Quilt-a-thon events will take place. Families can submit one square per household or individual squares for each family member. Once submitted, the quilt squares will be sewn together into a large community quilt.

“This project stems from the philosophy of BGSU being a public university for the public good,” Schnerer said. “Threads of Democracy directly promotes public good by displaying quilt squares created by members of our community. These historic relics will be available for anyone to view during the summer of 2027 and will live on in the Center for Archival Collections for all to view in the future.”

Event details for the Threads of Democracy project are still being finalized, and more information abou the Community Quilt project will be available soon. For more specific details about the project or information about how you can partner with the Department of History, please contact Outreach Coordinator, Kristin Schnerer at knschne@bgsu.edu.

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