This episode is a deep dive into our founding document, the Declaration of Independence — its history, its intellectual influences, its legacy and ultimately its evolution into our national "scripture" as historian Pauline Maier calls it.
00:00 Introduction to the Declaration of Independence01:23 The Myth That Binds Us05:01 Historical Context and Influences07:11 Early Colonial Period 18:04 The Road to Revolution27:32 The Continental Congresses 32:49 Drafting the Declaration42:35 Inspirations & Influences45:23 Jefferson's Version 46:17 The Slavery Clause Controversy51:34 Religious Language in the Final Draft53:17 Structure and Purpose of the Declaration58:07 The Declaration's Role in Securing Foreign Aid01:00:41 The Influence of Enlightenment Philosophy 01:13:48 The Declaration as a Living Document01:19:43 Lincoln's Reinterpretation at Gettysburg01:22:52 The Declaration's Enduring Legacy01:26:53 Final Words
Books & Texts:
The Declaration of Independence (side-by-side versions)
American Scripture by Pauline Maier
Inventing America by Garry Wills
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by Bernard Bailyn
American Gospel by Jon Meacham
John Quincy Adams's "Monsters to destroy" 1821 speech
