Discussions of the American Declaration of Independence typically focus on one of three things.  Some discussions will focus on Jefferson’s claim of “self-evident” truth, emphasizing the disconnect between Jefferson’s rhetoric of equality and the reality of slavery, while others will focus on the specific grievances outlined in the document, re-tracing the steps of the colonists from loyalty to dissent to outright rebellion.  The more philosophically inclined may take a third approach, discussing how early modern political theory was used to frame the rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

For this first part of his two-part semiquincentennial talk, Professor Eric Boyer will approach the familiar text of the Declaration of Independence in an unfamiliar way, through a focus on what appears to be the most simple word in the entire document – “we”.  This single word conceals a fundamental tension that exists within our founding document; a tension over the boundaries and bonds of the political community that has existed within democratic experiments from the days of Ancient Athens.  Far from being revealed and resolved, this tension continues to lurk at the edges of our republic, threatening to tear apart what was united 250 years ago.