This year we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of what would become the most powerful nation in the history of the world. What really happened, to rephrase the words of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address 'twelve score and ten years ago.'? A new nation? Dedicated to the proposition that all men (and women?) are created equal? Endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Well, not so fast... The words are powerful, but what did they mean to those who risked their lives, their fortunes, and their rights as British citizens by endorsing them? Who wrote, who debated, who signed what was officially titled "the unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united states of America?"

Join me for a deep dive into the motives and the thinking that went into the creation and adoption of our Declaration of Independence; and a chance to reflect on its ongoing significance.

Required Reading: Our Declaration by Danielle Allen.

Tom Hodgson holds an MA from Yale. He has taught a wide variety of courses at Phillips (Andover) Academy, Williams College, and OLLIs at Dartmouth and BCC. He has played and coached multiple sports and currently coaches squash at Williams. Tom lives on Mount Greylock with Susan, his partner for over 50 years, and their two dogs, Penny and Sunshine.

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