Celebrating Founding Forward
On September 17, 1787, 238 years ago, the Constitution of the United States was signed at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Each year, Founding Forward celebrates this momentous day. The event brings together volunteers, donors, students, and community members to both celebrate and recommit themselves to the work of Founding Forward. At […]
The American Founding
This past weekend, we celebrated the 249th anniversary of the birth of our nation. A nation created based on the philosophy that all men are created equal, as articulated in the Declaration of Independence, and on political principles set forth in the Constitution. These remarkable documents were created over the course of 11 years, spanning […]
Commemorating Juneteenth
By John Meko, President In commemoration of Juneteenth, Founding Forward highlights the most historic painting, in its collection, Edward Marchant’s painting of Abraham Lincoln as he signs the Emancipation Proclamation- a historic document that started the process of emancipating slaves. Founding Forwarding traces its own founding to the American Civil War and The Union League […]
Memorial Day
By David Harmer, National Director Few of us have earned the freedoms we enjoy; we’ve received them by bequest, as gifts of grace. Memorial Day invites us to remember who gave us those gifts: those who, from the American Revolution to the present day, sacrificed their lives in our nation’s armed services. It is they […]
How Founding Forward inspires teachers
By Arch Hunter, Director of Graduate Travel Programs American history has always been my passion. From a young age, I was drawn to the stories of the Founders and of the battles and trials of so many great patriots who sacrificed for our country. During high school and college, I considered a career in teaching, but […]
Lucretia Coffin Mott
In honor of Women’s History Month, Founding Forward is proud to highlight a prized piece of its art collection, a portrait of Lucretia Coffin Mott. The portrait of Lucretia Coffin Mott was commissioned by Founding Forward (then The Union League Legacy Foundation) in 2021. The portrait commission was awarded to internationally recognized artist Joshua LaRock […]
The next seven years…
Last week, on February 12, Founding Forward donors, partners, volunteers, and other League members gathered together to celebrate the 216th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. As we honored President Lincoln, we also had the opportunity to celebrate the first year of Founding Forward – and what a year! We accomplished a lot in 2024, but there is more to […]
Lincoln’s 216th Birthday
On February 12, 2025, Founding Forward held their annual Lincoln Day celebration at the Union League of Philadelphia in honor of Abraham Lincoln. The Union League was established in 1862 to support Abraham Lincoln, abolition, and the Union during the American Civil War. The League’s work during the war made it the most important civic […]
Revisiting Carter’s “Malaise” Speech
By John J. Meko, Jr., President of Founding Forward Today, the Nation pays its respects to its 39th President, James Earl Carter, Jr. In honor of the life of President Carter, Founding Forward looks back on one of Carter’s most famous speeches, the 1979 “Malaise” Speech, and finds that there is much to admire […]
Winter in Valley Forge
By David Harmer, National Director of Founding Forward On this date in 1777, General George Washington led the bedraggled, oft-defeated, retreating troops of the Continental Army into Valley Forge, establishing camp just a few minutes’ walk from what is now Founding Forward’s Valley Forge campus. Snow began to fall. The weather worsened from cold to […]