All humans are created equally, and peoples of different colors, backgrounds and beliefs can share the Earth and peacefully coexist. If indeed America is a grand experiment, then those are the premises.

On the occasion of this country's 250th anniversary, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum's America250 lecture series examines forces which have directly and indirectly affected that experiment and highlights the role that Pennsylvania and Lancaster have played in it.

"It's really important to understand where we come from," said museum educator Zachary Long. "This is an opportunity to look at 250 years of history and reflect on it. None of the European powers thought that we were going to make it this long. But we've become incredibly successful and become a world power."

The seven-speaker America250 lecture series that Long has pulled together will be presented at Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, 2451 Kissel Hill Road, Lancaster, on the last Friday of every month, beginning on May 29. There are costs involved with attending the series of lectures, which will conclude on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

"Pennsylvania was called the Keystone State because we bridged the northern colonies and the southern colonies," said Long. "Pennsylvania has always played a critical role in this nation. At the beginning, this was the birthplace of the revolution. We supplied a great deal of food for the (continental) army. We've always been willing to throw our shoulder behind America."

Kutztown University's Dr. Patrick Donmoyer's presentation on "The Legend of Mountain Mary" will kick off the America250 lecture series at 6 p.m. on May 29. It will be followed by historian Scott Mingus' talk on "The Underground Railroad in Lancaster" at 6 p.m. on June 26, Philip Gruber's discussions about "Farmer Revolts in Early America" at 6 p.m. on July 31, and Scott Sheeley's speech on "Lancaster's Role in American's Food System" at 6 p.m. on Aug. 28.

At 6 p.m. on Sept. 25, Lynette Miller will put a historical spin on "18th Century Fashion in Lancaster." Dr. William Woys Weaver will expound upon the topic of "Pennsylvania Dutch Food Traditions" at 6 p.m. on Oct. 30, while long rifle and back powder expert John Kolar's talk on "Lancaster Gunsmiths of the Early Republic" at 6 p.m. on Nov. 18 will conclude the series and preview Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum's upcoming exhibit featuring early firearms.

"There are some big names coming. This should be good," said Long. "All these lecturers share a fantastic love for history in certain areas. They want people to get excited about the subject material. They're all willing to meet people where they are. None come in with preconceived notions. Everyone's going to come along for the ride."

"I hadn't done a lecture series in a long time," continued Long. "I went to people I knew, and they passed me off to other people. It was a lot of phone calls and back and forth. I think it'll be a fantastic series. There's some culture, there's some military, there's some Revolutionary War and there's some Civil War."

Each lecture in the series will last about 90 minutes and will include discussion and question-and-answer periods. Light refreshments will be served.

Interested individuals are asked to register for the lectures at http://www.landisvalleymuseum.org. There are limits to the number of visitors who can attend the lectures in person, but the museum will also offer Zoom options and recorded video presentations on its YouTube Channel.

"We're looking to build membership, and we're looking to generate content," said Long. "We'd love to see our neighbors come out. We'd like to see it be a date night."

For more than 100 years, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum has been educating, promoting and advocating for 300-year-old Pennsylvania German history.

"The reason we exist is to preserve and showcase Pennsylvania German history," said Long. "We are carrying forward George and Henry Landis' mission. The lecture series was designed to highlight objects in our collection. It ducktails beautifully with our mission."

"I'd like people to know that Landis Valley exists and that Landis Valley is doing very exciting things," concluded Long. "We'd like local residents to feel invested and excited about it. That's part of what this lecture series is about."