Explore the document that made the United States with Danielle Allen, author of Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality, and Scott Stephenson, the President and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution.

This program will be held in-person at the Newberry and livestreamed on Zoom. The online version of this event will be live captioned.

Danielle Allen and Scott Stephenson will take a deep dive into the history, impact, and contemporary resonance of the Declaration of Independence in this hour-long conversation. The discussion will be followed by a book signing of Dr. Allen’s latest book, Radical Duke.  

Also following the program, Eric Slauter (University of Chicago) will be on hand to answer questions in his Newberry exhibition, Free and Independent: The Declaration of Independence and the Words that Made the US.  

Throughout the afternoon, reproduction artifacts from the Museum of the American Revolution will be available for viewing, including a recreation of George Washington’s tent in Washington Square Park, located across the street from the Newberry’s main entrance.  

The Colonial History Speaker Series is cosponsored by the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Illinois, in partnership with the History Department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  

This program is part of the Newberry's United States 250 initiative, which includes programs, exhibitions, courses and other learning opportunities throughout 2026. 

Speakers

Dr. Danielle Allen is a Professor of Political Philosophy, Public Policy, and Ethics at Harvard University as well as a distinguished author and mom. She is also Founder and Chairperson of Partners In Democracy. At Partners In Democracy, she advocates for democracy renovation to create greater voice and access in our democracy, and drive progress towards a new social contract that serves and includes us all.

Dr. R. Scott Stephenson is the President and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution. Before joining the museum as the first Director of Collections and Interpretation in 2007, he developed and collaborated on exhibits, films, and interpretive programs for numerous historical sites and organizations including Colonial Williamsburg, the Smithsonian, the Canadian War Museum, the National Park Service, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the Senator John Heinz History Center, and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

Cost and Registration

This program is free and open to all. Advance registration required.

Registration opens May 1.