In 1776 Carpenters’ Hall stood at the crossroads of the geographic and demographic tensions driving Pennsylvania politics, and today Pennsylvania is one of the nation’s most important electoral “swing” states. As we approach another consequential midterm election, join us to explore the historical roots of Pennsylvania’s divided politics, how they still resonate today, and how and where we can find common ground.

Award-winning author, historian and researcher Colin Woodard, director of the Nationhood Lab at Salve Regina University in Providence, Rhode Island, dissects the origins of our regional divides and discusses his groundbreaking research into the values Americans still share.