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250 Years of the American Experiment
Highlighting the Karsh Institute’s news, projects, scholarship, and events around the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
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As the British occupied cities from Boston to Savannah during the American Revolution, how did the household become a crucial zone of meaning and transformation? Lauren Duval (Karsh Institute fellow) will discuss her new book with Jane Kamensky (Monticello).
Indigenous Democratic Traditions: Arts Workshop
Learn the traditional craft ways of gourd painting, through this hands-on workshop with Deborah Wilkinson.
Indigenous Democratic Traditions: Before America’s 250th & Beyond
Explore the foundations and futures of tribal governance and how they have contributed—and continue to contribute—to the broader democratic landscape of the United States.
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View ArchiveIn the News
Executive Consolidation by Constitutional Disruption: The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill No.3
"[The amendment] would roll back key features protecting Zimbabwe’s democracy," writes Karsh Institute Research Fellow D. Tinashé Hofisi. "The bill proposes prolonging President Mnangagwa’s tenure until 2030, consolidating executive control."
constitutionnet.org
Reading the Declaration Together
In 2025, at Democracy360, a biannual convening of UVA’s Karsh Institute of Democracy, Monticello and the Karsh Institute collaborated on Declaration Next, where students from across Virginia visited Monticello and examined the historical context of the Declaration’s creation.
www.aam-us.org
120,000 Virginia High Schoolers Could Vote in Special Election
"Young Virginians who will be 18 by the Nov. 3 general election can vote in primary elections and special elections this year," write the Karsh Institute’s Melody Barnes and the Civics Center’s Laura Brill. "That covers almost every current high school senior, and a good chunk of juniors."
www.dailypress.com
Nancy Pelosi Visits UVA, Warns of Threats to Democracy and Anticipates Midterm Sweep
Pelosi sat down with Susan Page, USA Today Washington bureau chief, for a conversation hosted by the Karsh Institute of Democracy in UVA's Rotunda.
www.cavalierdaily.com