PHILADELPHIA, PA (April 7, 2026) — The National Constitution Center today announced the forthcoming publication of The Promise of America: Reflections On Our Enduring Ideals, a keepsake volume exploring the ideas at the heart of the American constitutional tradition. The volume will be published by Simon & Schuster on May 12, 2026 ($18, 208 pages), as the nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of its founding.
The Promise of America began as a conversation about how to bring the Declaration of Independence to life for a new generation. That effort led to the creation of the Center’s Interactive Declaration of Independence and the America at 250 Civic Toolkit—digital resources designed to make the nation’s founding principles accessible in classrooms and communities nationwide. The print volume builds on that foundation, bringing together new essays, primary sources, and interpretive scholarship in a lasting, portable format designed to support deeper reflection and shared civic dialogue.
The Promise of America features contributions from an extraordinary array of voices, led by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer (Ret.), who provides the introduction, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who authors the epilogue. It also includes a line-by-line annotated Declaration of Independence prepared by constitutional scholar Akhil Reed Amar. Additional contributors include Jeffrey Rosen, CEO Emeritus of the National Constitution Center; historian and author Walter Isaacson; Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Gordon S. Wood; MacArthur Fellow Danielle Allen; Hon. Jeffrey Sutton, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and leading scholars including Robert P. George, Jane Kamensky, Yuval Levin, Mary Sarah Bilder, Lindsay Chervinsky, Rosemarie Zagarri, David Armitage, and Eric Slauter.
True to the Center’s nonpartisan mission, the volume reflects a commitment to intellectual seriousness and viewpoint diversity, modeling the kind of civil, rigorous constitutional dialogue that has defined the American experiment from its founding to the present day.
Center Interim President and CEO Vince Stango said, “At the National Constitution Center, our role is to create a space where Americans of all perspectives can engage our founding principles thoughtfully and respectfully. The Promise of America brings that work to life in a new way, connecting leading scholarship with public learning at a moment when both are urgently needed.”
The Center will celebrate the publication of The Promise of America with a special program on May 16, 2026, featuring scholars Akhil Reed Amar and Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton.
The Center will also host a special installment of its Book Club series on May 21, 2026, at noon featuring the Center’s Semiquincentennial Scholar Jon Meacham. Those interested may use this link to register.
Chief Content and Learning Officer of the Center Julie Silverbrook said, “The Promise of America is designed to move people from curiosity to deeper understanding and meaningful engagement with our founding principles. We see this volume as the foundation for a nationwide effort to support local community book clubs and shared learning experiences, creating opportunities for learners of all ages to explore these ideas together during the semiquincentennial and throughout the civic decade ahead. By connecting the principles of the Declaration of Independence with those of the Constitution, which will mark its 250th anniversary in 2037, it invites Americans to engage the full arc of our founding and carry those ideas forward through continued learning and civil dialogue.”
The publication of The Promise of America is part of the Center’s broader Our Story Continues initiative, a nationwide campaign inviting Americans to explore the principles that define the nation and to reflect on how We the People will write the next chapter of the American story. For more information and to explore related programming and resources visit: https://constitutioncenter.org/america-at-250.
###
About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
