Title/description, Year
Credit line
“One People”: An Introduction to The Declaration and the Constitution
Jeffrey Rosen explains how a debate between Hamilton and Jefferson has framed the epic battles about how to balance liberty and power that have unfolded throughout American history.
Jefferson, Adams, and the Crucible of Revolution
Jane Kamensky explores how for all their differences, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson became figures in an important chapter in the “American story.”
By Jane Kamensky
The Declaration, the Constitution, and the Idea of Equality
Danielle Allen discusses the evolution of the principle of equality in the Declaration and its evolution over time through the Constitution and the law.
By Danielle Allen
The Declaration of Independence and The Concept of Liberty
Robert P. George writes that the preservation and protection of liberty is at the core of our nation’s promise, but how we understand the normative content of liberty matters greatly.
By Robert P. George
The Pursuit of Happiness
Jeffrey Rosen notes that the Founders viewed the pursuit of happiness as a lifelong quest for character improvement, and their belief that happiness is always something to be pursued rather than obtained.
By Jeffrey Rosen
The Consent of the Governed
Gordon S. Wood reviews why the Declaration of Independence’s assertion that governments derive their just powers from “the consent of the governed” was one of the most important issues in the revolutionary era.
By Gordon S. Wood
The Declaration’s Grievances Against the King
Rosemarie Zagarri explains that while the list of grievances is today an overlooked part of the Declaration of Independence, the list was arguably the most critical section of the document in 1776.
By Rosemarie Zagarri
Concluding Independence
Lindsay M. Chervinsky shows how the conclusion at the end of the Declaration dissolved political connections to the Crown and established a new government for a sovereign nation.
By Lindsay M. Chervinsky
The Declaration of Independence’s Influence Around the World
David Armitage explores the Declaration of Independence’s impact in world history as well as its significance within the United States, though for distinct and different reasons.
By David Armitage
The Separation of Powers
Dr. Yuval Levin of the American Enterprise Institute argues that the defense of liberty requires multiple answers to a fundamental political question: who rules?
By Yuval Levin
Federalism
Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton explains that federalism is a singular question in American history with a debate that never goes away.
By Hon. Jeffrey S. Sutton
The Blessings of Liberty and Bills of Rights
Mary Sarah Bilder reviews how over two centuries, the Bill of Rights developed as a culture of rights and liberties as bulwarks against power.
By Mary Sarah Bilder
The Declaration’s Promises
Eric Slauter notes that the Declaration’s stirring words are a testament to the power of ideas and to the efforts of ordinary Americans to press them into service for change.
