8 mins read

1776’s Declaration of Independence inspired Washington’s troops to fight against the odds – and also helped bring in powerful allies

The Declaration of Independence isn’t just a philosophical breakup letter. It was a strategic move to secure vital support for America after its first declaration of war.

7 mins read

Washington DC’s physical appearance has long been a battleground for competing national ideals and presidential visions

President Donald Trump’s capital redesign follows centuries of debate and discussion about how Washington should look to the world.

8 mins read

I study the Declaration of Independence, and here’s why the colonists’ grievances are surprisingly relevant, 250 years later

A partisan judiciary, arbitrary power, officials beyond the reach of the people – these are the grievances that drove a revolution.

8 mins read

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, The Federalist remains an indispensable guide to understanding the constitutional system and the nation’s enduring independence

You know how important the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were to making the United States. But do you know about The Federalist and the crucial role it played in the founding era?

9 mins read

The forgotten story of abolition in revolutionary France – the first emancipation

Decades before the United States, France outlawed slavery during the French Revolution – only to see it reimposed by Napoleon within a decade.

7 mins read

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson disagreed about the American Revolution’s meaning even as they lay dying

The founding generation in America was not of one mind. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson differed on crucial ideas, but exemplify the capacity for people to disagree and yet work for a common cause.