NEW LONDON, CT – Thames River Heritage Park and the Lyman Allyn Art Museum are marking the nation’s 250th anniversary with a lecture series exploring the meaning of freedom.

This year’s theme for the popular annual lecture series is Freedom: The Victories, Promises, and Potentials of 1776. Each lecture examines what freedom has meant throughout American history from a new perspective.

The series, which began in January, concludes next month.

The remaining lectures are:

• March 18: The Women’s Suffrage Movement – Watch as Bev York dons different hats to portray six suffragists, from Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Alice Paul.
• April 8: A Community Conversation on Immigration | Five-Person Panel – The panel will discuss rights, struggles and successes among the region’s immigrants and will delve into the impact of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Connecticut.
• April 29: This Fine Piece of Water: An Environmental History of Long Island Sound – Tom Anderson will break down how Dutch and English settlers’ attitudes led to pollution and discuss current efforts to stave off an environmental disaster.

Lectures take place every three weeks at Lyman Allyn Art Museum, with a 6 p.m. reception followed by a 7 p.m. talk. Tickets include the lecture, reception with light bites and beverages and pre-lecture access to museum galleries.

General admission is $20 per lecture. Members of the Lyman Allyn Art Museum and Thames River Heritage Park pay $15. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.