Join Doug Edlin, McHugh Professor of American Institutions and Leadership, and Department Chair of Political Science, at Colorado College for this unique opportunity to learn and engage during the 2026 Commemoration of America 250 and Colorado 150. The United States is often described, for various reasons, as the most speech-protective nation in the world. We will discuss what that means. By thinking about the history, theory, and law of the First Amendment, we will explore the development of free speech protection from matters of public concern, to a marketplace of ideas, to our current preoccupation with individual self-expression. We will also consider what these different understandings of free speech mean for the current political climate around the country.