Town Hall

Jefferson and Madison: From Independence to the Constitution and Bill of Rights

September 21, 2026

Thomas Jefferson, principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison, a leading architect of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, join Philadelphia students for a conversation exploring the connections among these three founding documents. Along with Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, Jefferson and Madison help students explore the extraordinary period of nation-building that began 250 years ago, from declaring independence to creating a new constitutional system of government.

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Thomas Jefferson was portrayed by Caleb Tracy and James Madison was portrayed by John Zak in partnership with Historic Philadelphia, Inc.

Julie Silverbrook is chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, where she leads the strategy, development, and delivery of the Center’s content, public programs, and educational initiatives, advancing its mission of nonpartisan constitutional education and civil dialogue. She oversees the creation of public-facing constitutional content and works to ensure the Center’s programs, scholarly engagement, and educational resources operate as a coordinated national strategy serving students, educators, families, and lifelong learners across the country.

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