Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson discusses his newest book, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Still Matters. This book traces the idea of American independence in one pivotal year—1776—and explores why this year continues to hold significance today. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.
This program is generously sponsored by Citizen Travelers, the nonpartisan civic engagement initiative of Travelers.
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Edward Larson is the Hugh and Hazel Darling Chair in Law and University Professor of History at Pepperdine University. Larson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, and author of several books including American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation, 1765-1795 (2023); Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership (2020); George Washington, Nationalist (2016); The Return of George Washington: Uniting the States, 1783-1789 (2014); and most recently, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Still Matters (2025).
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the U.S. Constitution. Rosen is also professor of law at The George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.
Additional Resources
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Ed Larson, Declaring Independence: Why 1776 Matters (2025)
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Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776)
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John Adams, Thoughts on Government (1776)
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George Mason, First Draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776)
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