Michael Auslin joins to discuss his new book, National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America, a sweeping and vivid history of the Declaration of Independence from its drafting to its enduring role in American life today. Tracing the remarkable journey of this iconic document—from a Philadelphia boarding house to wartime hiding places and its place as a national symbol—Auslin explores how its ideals of liberty and equality have inspired generations and continue to shape the American experiment. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.
We invite you to be part of the conversation by submitting questions via email at [email protected].
Auslin is the Payson J. Treat Distinguished Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. Prior to that, he was an associate professor of history at Yale. He wrote National Treasure as a distinguished visiting scholar at the Library of Congress’s John W. Kluge Center and an American Heritage Partners Fellow at the Society of the Cincinnati’s American Revolution Institute.
Purchase the book: National Treasure: How the Declaration of Independence Made America
This event is part of the National Constitution Center’s Book Club series, which invites Americans of all ages to engage with works by leading scholars and thinkers exploring the Constitution, American history, and the ideas that shape our constitutional democracy. Through conversations with authors representing a range of perspectives, the series encourages thoughtful discussion grounded in primary sources and constitutional principles. The Center convenes these conversations as a forum for learning and dialogue. The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Constitution Center. Programs will be offered both virtually and in person at the Center in Philadelphia.
