The inspiration for this issue’s theme is obvious: This summer marks 250 years since the Continental Congress declared the United States of America independent of its metropole. This milestone has been observed in myriad ways already, including serious reflections on the origins and future of the country and also a martial arts tournament on the White House lawn replete with motorcycle jumping and flyovers by military aircraft. Ours is a nation of contrasts.
In assembling this issue, we set out not to explore the events of 1776 or even the United States in particular, but rather the phenomenon of sudden, radical change and the ideas that drive it. What makes an event revolutionary rather than incremental? Where do revolutions come from? What ideas might fuel a future revolution?
In these pages you’ll find stories about would-be revolutionaries past and present, as well as activists and theorists striving to transform how we make political decisions and how we relate to the nonhuman world. They share a common interest in agency. We are all living amid dramatic social and environmental changes. What can we do to shape how these changes affect our families, our communities, and our country?
Ben Waterhouse is Communications Director at Oregon Humanities. He supervises the organization's communications and publications efforts, including Oregon Humanities magazine, the Beyond the Margins essay series, The Detour podcast and radio show, and marketing strategy. He created the Dear Stranger letter-exchange project.
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