About Us
The 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the creation of the U.S. Constitution offers a historic opportunity to reconnect with the founding ideals of the United States. As we approach this milestone, we have a chance to reflect on the ideas, struggles, and debates that shaped the republic and to explore what they mean for our communities today. This is especially important here and now: in California, civic engagement and expressions of patriotism are at record lows. Only 13 percent of Californians say they are “extremely proud” to be American, the lowest rate in the country, and many young people report feeling disconnected from public life. San Diego’s physical distance from the nation's founding sites leaves many to think that the founding of the nation happened somewhere else: that it is someone else’s history. But it’s not. It is our history. It is the history of “We the People.” The American Revolution and Constitution History (ARCH) Project aims to make the nation’s founding central to the lives of students at San Diego State University and to people of San Diego.
The ARCH Project brings students, faculty, and community members together to explore the historical roots of the American Republic and its founding documents. We do this through student-driven research projects, public presentations, and curated exhibits that examine key moments, figures, and ideas from the Revolutionary era. We host talks, panels, and workshops with historians, curators, and civic leaders to foster discussion and encourage active learning. Whether producing papers, digital stories, or community exhibits, ARCH students bring the past to life while sharpening their analytical, communication, and civic engagement skills.
Our goal is to cultivate a new, thoughtful form of patriotism that is rooted not in slogans or partisanship, but in curiosity, analysis, and public engagement. By studying how past Americans grappled with difficult questions of liberty, equality, representation, and power, SDSU students will gain insight into how those same challenges continue to shape our world today. Through their work with the ARCH Project, they will become leaders in building a more informed and inspired civic culture in San Diego, one that understands history not as something distant or out there, but as something we actively shape together.
Just as those in the Revolutionary era helped shape the nation we live in today, we at the ARCH Project believe that in our actions in the present will shape the history remembered by generations to come. Our goal: let’s make the best history we can.
Contact Us
Edward J. Blum, Ph.D.
Project Director
Email: [email protected]