A special Independence Week Town Hall exploring how the United States will mark the 250th anniversary of its founding and what this milestone moment calls us to consider about our past, present, and future, presented in partnership with In Pursuit and More Perfect.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and National Constitution Center Semiquincentennial Scholar Jon Meacham, 11th Archivist of the United States Colleen Shogan, and Harvard University Professor Danielle Allen join Robert Costa of CBS News for a wide-ranging conversation on the shared principles at the heart of the American idea and the many ways the nation is marking this milestone anniversary. Together, they also explore the broader challenges and opportunities facing the practice of history today, including how we tell our national story, engage across differences, and connect new generations to the enduring ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Video
Participants
Danielle Allen is James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University. She is also director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation at the Harvard Kennedy School and director of the Democratic Knowledge Project-Learn, a research lab focused on civic education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is the author of numerous books and the publisher and founder of The Renovator Substack and a contributing columnist at The Atlantic.
Robert Costa is a national correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning and chief Washington analyst for CBS News. Costa's work at Sunday Morning includes coverage of national politics, in-depth interviews with newsmakers, and features on culture, literature, and the arts. As chief Washington analyst for CBS News, Costa offers reporting and analysis to the CBS Evening News, Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, CBS Mornings, and CBS News 24/7 programs.
Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and semiquincentennial scholar at the National Constitution Center. He is the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power; American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House; Franklin and Winston: A Portrait of Friendship; Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush; and The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels. Meacham is a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, a contributing writer for The New York Times Book Review, and a fellow of the Society of American Historians.
Colleen Shogan is CEO of In Pursuit, a new initiative from the organization More Perfect. Drawing on her service as archivist of the United States, as well as her career as a political scientist, public servant, and advocate for civic education, Shogan leads the project to inspire reflection, dialogue, and the renewal of our democratic ideals. In addition to her role at More Perfect, she is also a senior fellow in civics education at Stand Together and an adjunct professor of government at Georgetown University.
Additional Resources
- Annotated Declaration of Independence, National Constitution Center
- Interactive Constitution, National Constitution Center
- The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals
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