The Declaration of Independence at 250

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Declaration of Independence at 250"

Podcast: History That Doesn’t Suck
Host: Prof. Greg Jackson
Episode Date: July 2, 2026
Special Guest & Participants: Mike Duncan, Lindsey Cormack, Ben Sawyer, Bob Crawford, Colleen Shogun, Lindsay Graham (podcasters)

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Overview

This commemorative episode marks the 250th anniversary of the Continental Congress's vote for American independence, focusing on the enduring significance and radical boldness of the Declaration of Independence. Host Greg Jackson is joined by notable history podcasters, who together present a dramatic, multi-voice reading of the Declaration’s full text. The episode aims to reconnect listeners with the document's language, ideals, and historical context, while reflecting on the meaning of American identity and nationhood.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Historical Context and Episode Purpose

• Mike Duncan introduces the episode, underscoring the gravity and risk taken by the colonial leaders in 1776. He frames the Declaration not merely as a legal document but a philosophical statement about unalienable rights and unity among disparate colonies.
  • Key insight: July 2 is highlighted as the true date of Independence, the day the Continental Congress voted for separation, even though July 4th is the widely celebrated public holiday.
  • Mike Duncan quote [00:08]:

    “250 years ago, leaders from 13 separate colonies gathered in Philadelphia and made a terrifying and bold decision...They announced their collective separation from the British Empire...They made a transcendent statement on unalienable rights and took this bold, unified step into the dark.”

2. The Declaration of Independence: Full Reading and Analysis

Opening Principles and Justification for Revolution

• The reading conveys the famous preamble and philosophical core:
  • Lindsey Cormack [02:20]:

    “When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another... they should declare the causes which

Transcript

[Mike Duncan]

250 years ago, leaders from 13 separate colonies gathered in Philadelphia and made a terrifying and bold decision. They announced their collective separation from the British Empire. They did so with a stated willingness to risk their lives, their fortunes, and their honor. They didn't agree on everything. Not every delegate signed, and New York's delegates abstained out of a deference to the mix of feelings in the Empire colony turning state. Nonetheless, they made a transcendent statement on unalienable rights and took this bold, unified step into the dark. In that spirit of unity, I collaborated with several of my History Podcast colleagues to record a reading of the Declaration of Independence. Whether you've read the entire text before or not, I encourage you to listen and absorb the power of its words and and ideas right now. July 4th, of course, is the date that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration itself. But we are releasing this recording today, July 2nd, the date John Adams would regard as America's Independence Day, because it was in fact the date of the Continental Congress's actual vote for independence. If you'd like to go deeper over the holiday weekend, I invite you to watch my PBS special the Unlikely Union, a storytelling symphony of America with which covers the first century of our nation's founding. It's recorded with the full orchestra of my touring live show. You can stream it for free throughout the rest of the summer on the PBS app [e-mail] simply search for the title the Unlikely Union and click the link in the episode description or visit our website at and now I'm pleased to share the Declaration of Independence as read by familiar voices including Lindsey Cormack, my co host on the new show Government that Doesn't Suck, Ben Sawyer and Bob Crawford of the Road to Now podcast, Colleen Shogun of In Pursuit podcast, and my dear friend Lindsay, not the Senator Graham, host of History Daily, American Storytellers and American Scandal.

[Ben Sawyer]

In Congress. July 4 Senior 1776 the unanimous declaration of the 13 United States of America

[Lindsey Cormack]

when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

[Bob Crawford]

We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal,

[Mike Duncan]

that they are endowed by their Creator

[Bob Crawford]

with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of

[Colleen Shogun]

happiness that to secure These rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

[Ben Sawyer]

That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it. And to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness.

[Lindsay Graham]

Prudence, indeed will dictate. That Governments, long established should not be changed for light and transient causes. And accordingly, all experience has shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the form to which they are accustomed.

[Colleen Shogun]

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and to provide new guards for their future security.

[Bob Crawford]

Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies. And such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present king of Great Britain. Is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

[Additional Reader]

He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and private pressing importance. Unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained. And when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature. A right in inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable and distant from the depository of their public records for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly for opposing the with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time after such dissolutions. To cause others to be elected, whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise, the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without and convulsions within.

[Lindsey Cormack]

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states for that purpose, obstructing the laws for the naturalization of foreigners, refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither and raising the conditions of New appropriations of lands. He has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers. He has made judges dependent on his will alone. For the tenure of their offices and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of new offices. And sent hither swarms of officers. To harass our people and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction. Foreign to our constitution. And unacknowledged by our laws, Giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation.

[Ben Sawyer]

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us.

[Bob Crawford]

For protecting them by a mock trial from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states.

[Lindsay Graham]

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world.

[Colleen Shogun]

For imposing taxes on us without our consent.

[Ben Sawyer]

For depriving us in many cases of the benefits of trial by jury.

[Bob Crawford]

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses.

[Lindsay Graham]

For abolishing the free system of English laws In a neighboring province, Establishing therein an arbitrary government and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument. For introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies.

[Colleen Shogun]

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws. And altering fundamentally the forms of our governments.

[Ben Sawyer]

For suspending our own legislatures. And declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

[Lindsey Cormack]

He has abdicated government here by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

[Bob Crawford]

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coast coasts, Burnt our towns and destroyed the lives of our people.

[Lindsay Graham]

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries. To complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny already begun. With circumstances of cruelty and perfidy. Scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages. And totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

[Colleen Shogun]

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas. To bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren. Or to fall themselves by their hands.

[Bob Crawford]

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us. And has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers. The merciless Indian savages. Whose known rule of warfare Is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

[Lindsey Cormack]

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

[Bob Crawford]

Nor have we been wanting in attentions

[Mike Duncan]

to our British brethren.

[Bob Crawford]

We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity. And we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.

[Ben Sawyer]

They, too have been deaf to the voice of justice and consanguinity. We must therefore acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind. Enemies in war, in peace. Friends.

[Colleen Shogun]

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America in general Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.

[Lindsay Graham]

That they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved. And that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may have right due. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

[Lindsey Cormack]

Happy birthday, America. You are an inspiring, infuriating, incredible and improving place. May you and the world live up to your ideals.

[Bob Crawford]

Htds is supported by [e-mail] membership my gratitude, chief kind souls providing funding helps keep going. Thank you. And a special thanks to our patrons whose monthly gift puts them at producer status. Adam goren, ahmad chapman, amy and ross hinsman, andrew nissen, andrew sherwin, anna m. Hutta, arthur lane, bob stimmon, bonnie brooks, brian gadigan, brian boyles, brian goodson, bruce hibbert, kaden howitz, charles clendenin, charles starkie, charlie magus, christopher merchant, christopher leisel, christopher pullman, cindy rosenthal, colleen martin, colin fares pennington, connor hogan, craig burholst, dan g. Daniel beecham, daniel o', connie, darren chambers, david rifkin, dean heiser, durante spencer, donald moore, eli edwards, elizabeth kris jansen, ellen stewart, ernesto franco, ernie lomaster, ethan lowery, evan thompson, g2303 jeffrey nelson, george j. Sherwood, gareth griffin, gina johnson, gordon garwood, henry brunges, holly hamilton, jake gilbreth, james bledsoe, james blue, james schlender, jarrett zangora, jeffrey newtz, jennifer mingioni, jennifer roof, jeremy wells, jessica poppett, joe dobas, john booty, john frugal, dougal, john huber, john messmer, john oliveros, john rudlevich, john schaefer, jonathan schaff, jordan corbett, joseph curry, joshua steiner, julian wright, justin may, carl and elizabeth saling, carl friedman, carl hindle, carl romer, ken culver, kim r. Kristen pratt, kyle decker, l. Paul goringer, laura norman, lawrence neubauer, linda cunningham, mark ellis, marcia smith, mason glenn, matt siegel, michael sullivan, mick caprill, owen w. Sedlak, peter hugenroth, philip may, randy keen, rich ruckel, rick brown, robert drazovich, rock gay sam holtzman, sarah prescott, sarah treewood, scott hurst, shannon hoagland, sharon thiessen, shawn baines, sean collins, stacy ritter, steve williams, creepy girl, thomas churchill, thomas matthew edwards, thomas sabbath, tim and sarah turner, todd curran, tom bastavka, walter m. Ames, wesley mccage and zack jackson. Join me in two weeks where I'd

[Mike Duncan]

like to tell you a story.