1776, Then and Now

https://1776classwashu.com/

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 250^thanniversary. The class will examine 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?

Renowned professors from WashU and around the country will show how scholars in multiple fields discuss American independence. The course will run one time only as a way to commemorate and respond in 2026 to the events of 1776 and the founding of the United States.

Schedule:

Religion and Politics in the Revolution: Setting the Scene
Jan 15 – Mark Valeri (WashU)– Religion and Revolution
Jan 22 – Kathleen DuVal (UNC) – The International Context of the American Revolution
Jan 29 – Peter Kastor (WashU) – Why did the colonies declare independence?
Feb 5 – Leigh Schmidt (WashU) – A Secular Republic? Irreligion, Revolution, and Enlightenment
Feb 12 – Sowande’ Mustakeem (WashU) – Slavery and the American Revolution
Feb 19 – Tazeen Ali (WashU) – Islam and the Founding Fathers (Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an)

Further Contexts and Developments
Feb 26 – John Inazu (WashU Law)– The Right of Assembly in our Democratic Experiment
March 5 – Fannie Bialek (WashU) – Early American Political Thought
March 19 – Rachael DeWitt and Hester Blum (WashU) – The Environments of 1776
March 26 – Lorri Glover (St. Louis University) – Women’s Definitions and Declarations of Independence
April 2 – Andrew Martin (WashU) – Free Speech and Judicial Independence in the Age of Revolution

Remembering the American Revolution
April 9 – Eddie Glaude (Princeton University) – Remembering the American Revolution through the Years
* special (optional) evening event with Eddie Glaude
April 16 – Jeff Pasley (University of Missouri) – The Declaration of Independence
* special (optional) evening event with Danielle Allen (Harvard)
April 23 – Abram Van Engen (WashU) – Origin Stories and the History of American Exceptionalism