1776, Then and Now
How did the United States come to be and what does that origin story mean for us today? This course explores that question by examining the American Revolution during its 250th anniversary with the help of renowned professors from WashU and around the country.
This series of lectures examines the founding of the United States from multiple perspectives and points of view, as well as the continuing relevance and consequences of those events. What happened, how did it happen, and why does it still matter? This series invites you to see how scholars with broad-ranging talents investigate the Revolution.
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Why Revolution?
What were the causes and contingencies of the American Revolution? Rather than treating independence as inevitable, these lectures explore the political, economic, imperial, and ideological conflicts that led colonists to challenge British authority. The scholars consider how competing visions of governance, liberty, and empire shaped the path toward revolution and how ordinary people experienced the escalating crisis.
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Religion and the Secular
These three lectures investigate the complex relationship between religion, religious diversity, and emerging secular ideas in revolutionary America. They explore how religious beliefs influenced political thought, how different faith communities navigated the revolutionary era, and how the founding generation grappled with questions of religious liberty, pluralism, and the proper role of religion in public life.
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Seeking Freedom and Independence
Our scholars broaden the meaning of freedom beyond the quest for national independence. Focusing on enslaved people, African Americans, and women, these lectures examine how the Revolution created both opportunities and limitations in the struggle for personal and collective liberty by highlighting the tensions between the revolutionary ideals of freedom and the realities of inequality and bondage.
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Establishing Rights
How did Americans seek to define and secure rights in their new nation? These lectures consider the development of constitutional principles, the expansion and limits of citizenship, and ongoing debates about liberty, equality, and participation in public life. Together, they show that the meaning of rights has been contested and evolving since the nation’s founding.
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Memory and Meaning 250 Years Later
Looking from 2026 back to 1776, this section examines how Americans have remembered, interpreted, and debated the Revolution over time. The lectures consider the enduring legacy of the founding era, the ways different groups have claimed or challenged its meaning, and what the Revolution can teach us as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary. These lectures invite reflection on how history continues to shape contemporary conversations about democracy, citizenship, and national identity.
This course and the individual lectures were developed for the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University for educational purposes only.
The content and research of each lecture belongs to the individual scholar presenting it.
Course resources including slides, readings, and handouts have been provided in PDF form where possible and when the content is in the public domain. Some resources are accessible via a link and all copyright information for those items rest with the poster.
Transcripts were generated using automated speech recognition software and/or human transcription services. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, transcripts are fallible and may contain errors, omissions, or misinterpretations of the spoken word. Due to factors such as background noise, accents, and audio quality, this text should not be treated as a definitive record. For critical, legal, or official purposes, please consult the original audio or video recording to verify the exact spoken content.