8th Grade Humanities at Unquowa includes an in-depth study of American History from the American Revolution to the present day. One of the essential questions we ask students from the beginning is: “What is the American Dream?” We use this question to look at the historical record and try to determine what, if anything, the Founders had to say about a unified – or perhaps an individual – American dream. We also use this question as a touchstone throughout the year as we seek more understanding about who was initially included in the American experiment, and who was (intentionally or unintentionally) marginalized or left out — what American voices still need to be heard? After learning about the Declaration of Independence, it helped students understand that the questions their teachers are asking them to think about and wrestle with are the very same questions that artists on Broadway are asking in the new 2022 revival of the Tony-award winning musical 1776 by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone. With a revolutionary cast of women, black and indigenous people of color (BIPOC), and transgender actors, this new production highlights tensions between not only the Northern and Southern states at that First Continental Congress, but also the unspoken tensions between the America of today and the America of the late 1700s. It was a masterful performance, and students spent the next class period in school discussing their thoughts and writing up their own reviews of the show. It’s always good to be able to bring students back to Broadway, especially after the necessary hiatus during Covid. Pizza at the world-famous John’s of New York was icing on the cake!