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U.S. history topic of lecture series
Founding Fathers, principles covered
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Forsyth County News
At a glance

Upcoming lectures in the series at the Bell Research Center include:

• The Constitution, Feb. 23

• Church and State, March 2

• The Barbary Pirates, March 30

• Symbols of Liberty, April 6

• The Unwilling Immigrants, April 20

• Each lecture begins at 7 p.m. and all are free and open to the public.

All lectures will be held at the Bell Research Center in the Cumming Historic Schoolhouse at 101 School St. For more information, call (678) 455-7216 or visit www.bellresearchcenter.com.
From tea parties to immigration, America’s history is repeating itself.

The country’s foundation and subsequent reoccurring themes in modern times will be the focus of a six-part lecture series presented at the Bell Research Center in Cumming.

“These are very timely and, of course, the Constitution is being talked about in the news every day,” said Frank Clark, center curator. “There’s a lot of talk about the founding principles that we’ve gotten so far away from.”

William Potter, chief historian and curator of the Circa History Guild in Roswell, will be the guest speaker for the series, dubbed “Foundations of Freedom.”

The Tuesday night lectures are a variation of those he’s been giving at the guild for about two years. With the recent Tea Party movement, Potter said interest has increased.

“There seemed to be quite a bit of interest in the founding fathers, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution,” he said. “We thought with that kind of interest from the public, that it would be good to have some historical perspective.

“One thing I stress is the importance of communicating to the next generation about the liberty they’ve inherited.”

The first lecture of the series was held Tuesday. Potter said it focused on the Declaration of Independence and “the signers themselves, what they went through, and what risks they took in signing their names.”

The U.S. Constitution is the next topic, set for Feb. 23. Potter said most people will be surprised by how many myths there are to American history.

“There are many things people have been taught over the centuries in school and in the textbooks that aren’t exactly true,” he said. “I do a little myth busting.

“The truth actually is stranger and more interesting than anything that can be made up about the events and the people that were involved.”

Clark said while the research center is geared toward self-education, the lecture series will make a nice addition.

He expects about 70 people to attend each lecture.

“All these things are very interesting and I think even timely,” he said. “This is an opportunity, instead of watching somebody talk about it on television, to see somebody in person and they can answer your questions afterward.”