2026 lecture series

September lecture at Three Village Historical Society & Museum

The Drafting of a Radical Idea: The Declaration of Independence

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Monday, September 14, 2026

7:00 PM
doors open at 6:45

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free and open to the public

The Setauket Neighborhood House

95 Main St, Setauket / East Setauket NY 11733

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When the first shots of the American Revolution were fired in April 1775, independence was still considered a radical idea. So how did a movement for reconciliation become a declaration that changed the world?

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Join the Three Village Historical Society & Museum for an engaging evening with Dr. Tara Rider of Stony Brook University, as she explores the remarkable journey behind one of history's most influential documents.

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Together, we'll examine how the events of 1775, the powerful words of Common Sense by Thomas Paine, and the determination of ordinary people transformed the call for liberty into a declaration that would inspire democratic movements around the globe for the next 250 years.

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🗓 Monday, September 14
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Setauket Neighborhood House

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Whether you're a lifelong history enthusiast or simply curious about the ideas that shaped our nation, this thought-provoking lecture offers a fresh perspective on a document whose influence continues to resonate today.

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Dr Tara Rider is a senior lecturer at Stony Brook University. Her research builds upon the debates in environmental studies regarding the relationship between nature and society and explores how questions of identity, power and culture are linked with landscape. Her research has included studies of sixteenth century Ireland as well as looking at America’s relationship with whales.   

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Long Island 250 programming at TVHS is generously sponsored by Assemblywoman Rebecca Kassay, Jane & Rob Taylor, and Catherine J Minuse