An inspirational collection of essays exploring the founding principles that continue to shape American democracy from the nation’s leading constitutional scholars across the political spectrum.

The Declaration was just the beginning.

The revolutionary ideas of 1776 set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the national framework established in the Constitution in 1787 laid the foundation for America’s story—chapters that continue to shape our nation. What did liberty and equality mean in 1776 and what do they ask of us today?

Starting with an introduction from National Constitution Center president and CEO Jeffrey Rosen, leading historical scholars take a fresh look at America’s founding documents—the texts, historical context, key principles that animated the Framers, and their influence across American history and around the world.

This commemorative collection of essays brings together our nation’s foremost historians from across the political spectrum, and invites all Americans to explore the ideals that inspired the greatest and most enduring democratic experiment in history.

Jeffrey Rosen is President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, where he hosts We the People, a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor at The Atlantic. Rosen is a graduate of Harvard College, Oxford University, and Yale Law School. He is the author of nine books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Pursuit of Happiness and Conversations with RBG. His essays and commentaries have appeared in The New York Times Magazine; on NPR; in The New Republic, where he was the legal affairs editor; and in The New Yorker, where he has been a staff writer.