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 trailer for the series.
Episodes
- An Expression of the American Mind—with Dr. Nicholas Cole of Pembroke College, University of Oxford—considers the political
theory of the Founding and what was at stake with the Declaration of Independence.
- Natural Law and Natural Rights—with Dr. Brad Rebeiro of Brigham Young University Law School—covers the fundamental
idea underlining the Declaration, that there is a standard for justice in nature.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
