Declaration Master Class

Where the Declaration Came From and What It Means

Each session introduces viewers to the key ideas and the basic history that animate the fundamental document of American independence.

View the playlist (trailer and videos) for the series.

Episodes

• An Expression of the American Mind—with Dr. Nicholas Cole of Pembroke College, University of Oxford—considers the history of the Declaration and what was at stake in 1776.
  • View video transcript.
  • Read related Deseret News opinion piece by Nicholas Cole.
• Natural Law and Natural Rights—with Dr. Bradley Rebeiro of Brigham Young University Law School—covers the fundamental idea underlining the Declaration, that there is a standard for justice in nature.
  • View video transcript.
  • Read related Deseret News opinion piece by Bradley Rebeiro.
• Equality and Consent—with Dr. Savannah Eccles Johnston of Utah Valley University’s CCS—explores the centrality of the equality principle articulated in the Declaration, and how the consent principle follows.
  • View video transcript.
  • Read related Deseret News opinion piece by Savannah Eccles Johnston.
• Civic Virtue and the Declaration—with Dr. Robert Burton of Utah Valley University’s CCS—discusses civic virtue, a trait central to the American Founding, including the exercise of the right to revolution.
  • View video transcript.
  • Read related Deseret News opinion piece by Robert Burton.
• The Pursuit of Happiness—with Dr. Matthew Brogdon of Utah Valley University’s CCS—unpacks the American vision for government that enables people to pursue happiness and the difference between theory and practice in American history.
  • View video transcript.
  • Read related Deseret News opinion piece by Matthew Brogdon.

Background on the Series

Videos are ideas-focused, with each session seeking to highlight the timeless importance and contemporary relevancy of these ideas while avoiding partisanship and divisive political debates. 

Each episode lasts approximately 15 minutes and is accompanied by supplemental primary-source readings.

Featured scholars, each affiliated with the Center for Constitutional Studies, explain terms, identify key principles, and share stories.