This course examines the origins, meaning, and enduring influence of America’s founding document over five sessions, as our nation approaches its 250th birthday.

April 2: The Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution – Craig Gallagher

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the July 4, 1776, signing of the Declaration of Independence, we ought not to forget the monumental risk that its signatories in the Second Continental Congress were taking. Amidst a war with the globally recognized superpower — and with an army better described as a ragtag group of militias — that the Americans would hold out long enough to make the Declaration matter was no sure thing. How did thirteen disparate colonies ultimately come together and find a way to overcome the mighty British Empire? And what did it mean to become the first recognized independent country in the Western Hemisphere born out of a former colony?

April 9: No Taxation Without Representation — The Meaning of Representation and the New Republic – Eric Boyer

Often treated as a mere political slogan, "No Taxation without Representation" is much more than a catchy reimagining of the Magna Carta by rebellious colonists; it represents the first step of a radical revision of the British concept of "virtual" representation. As the colonists moved from revolution to political construction, they developed a radically new concept of "actual" representation: an ongoing political experiment that has had a profound impact on the meaning of republican liberty and the necessity of public virtue. As we approach the 250th anniversary of this experiment, we are left asking: Can a republic survive on ambition alone?

April 16: No Kings — How British Colonists Became Americans – Craig Gallagher

At the conclusion of the French and Indian War in 1763, the British Empire stood atop the world. King George III’s subjects in London, Boston, New York and Charleston rejoiced that the hated French had been driven from Canada and that North America was now truly a British domain. No less an authority than Benjamin Franklin opined that the colonists had never been prouder to be British. Yet just thirteen years later, these same colonists tore the Empire in two by declaring independence and forming the United States of America. What explains this monumental collapse in British identity, and why did some of the most loyal subjects of George III embrace the cry of “No Kings!” by 1776?

April 23: The Declaration of Independence — Its Meaning Today – Peter Gunn

Today, the United States of America remains an unfinished, but inspired work in progress. We face the generational test of how we can move the U.S. closer to fully realizing the promise of the Declaration of Independence. Our progress depends on how we interpret and apply the ideals of the Declaration. Will "all men [sic] are created equal" mean that people should simply enjoy equal opportunity or equitable outcomes? Will "liberty" ensure only personal autonomy, or will it also promote community? Will we constrict "consent" in the name of fair elections, or will we expand access to the ballot in the name of free ones? And what of the role of government — will it provide law enforcement, courts and jails to keep us "secure," or will the community provide to everyone the education, healthcare and the infrastructure necessary for all Americans to fully pursue happiness?

April 30: Paintings at a Revolution — Depicting the American Revolution – David Click

The Declaration of Independence and the war for independence are viewed by Americans today as the founding events that shaped the country we live in. From the time of The Revolution, artists have depicted the founding of the Republic as both heroic and virtuous. Artists such as Charles Wilson Peale, John Trumball and Gilbert Stuart and others provided artistic interpretations of the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers and the war for independence with images that resonate with us today. Using classical models and working in the grand style of European painters, these early American artists created an American cultural identity and shaped our remembrance of the American Revolution. In this concluding session, we will look at how early American artists shaped the views of The Revolution that we still share today.