The American, French, and Haitian Revolutions of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries transformed the Atlantic World. Different freedoms coming from these revolutions created new societies, aspirations, and possibilities. The cultural and scientific exchanges made new political systems, economies, artistic expressions, and cuisines. Artworks at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art follow these threads to the present era and bear witness to our overlapping and intertwined societies. John W. Franklin is Managing Member at Franklin Global LLC and Senior Manager Emeritus, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution.

This keynote lecture is being presented in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition USA @ 250, on view at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art from June 27, 2026 through November 8, 2026.

Bowdoin College is committed to providing an accessible and welcoming environment. Please contact the Events Office (events@bowdoin.edu or 207-725-3433) with any questions regarding the accessibility of this event and/or to request accommodations. Please note: some accommodations require advance notice and may require documentation of a disabling condition.

Photo Credit: W. H. Morris