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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence

By: Andrew Sola and Amerikazentrum-Hamburg
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 Learn more about the Declaration of Independence for the 250-year anniversary with this interdisciplinary podcast, featuring experts from the USA and around the world. The series is produced and hosted by Dr. Andrew Sola and the Amerikazentrum, Hamburg.Andrew Sola & Amerikazentrum Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Daughters of Liberty: Women and the Declaration of Independence

    Daughters of Liberty: Women and the Declaration of Independence
    Jun 26 2025
    "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men AND WOMEN are created equal." Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls Convention In this episode, Prof. Rosemarie Zagarri explores the legal, social, and political status of women from the Colonial Era through the Revolutionary War, the Seneca Falls Convention (1848), and beyond. Topics include: -The tensions between the ideals of the phrase "all men are created equal" and the lived reality of women -"Coverture" and the legal status of women in the Colonies -The evolving trans-Atlantic dialogue about women's rights from the Enlightenment through the Revolutionary War -The incorporation of Colonial women into the political resistance to King George -Female literacy and early American female authors, including Mercy Otis Warren and Phillis Wheatley -An exploration of the concept of "Republican Motherhood" -Women's contribution to the Revolutionary War effort -The brief period from 1790 to 1807 when women could vote in New Jersey
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    56 mins
  • The Quartering Act and Homosexuality in the Colonies

    The Quartering Act and Homosexuality in the Colonies
    Jun 12 2025
    "He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures." This Pride Month episode focuses on two questions. First, why were American colonists increasingly frustrated with the presence of British troops in the Colonies? Second, to what extent were Thomas Jefferson and the Founders aware of LGBTQ+ issues at the nation's founding? Topics include the following: -Grievances 11, 12, and 14 in the Declaration of the Independence -The Quartering Act of 1774 -Evidentiary problems when trying to access LGBTQ+ history -'Disordered' sexuality in the Colonies, including gay sex and master-slave sexual relations -Similarities and differences in the treatment of homosexuals in Great Britain and the Colonies -Reasons for the low number of executions of gay men in the Colonies -Molly Houses and Macaronis -Concepts of Masculinity in the Colonies
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    52 mins
  • Religion in the Declaration of Independence

    Religion in the Declaration of Independence
    Jun 5 2025
    The Declaration of Independence uses the words 'God,' 'the Creator,' and 'Divine Providence,' but many of the Founders were highly skeptical of both Christianity and also organized religion, preferring the scientific and rational ideals of the Enlightenment. In this episode, we explore the tensions between religion and reason in the Declaration of Independence. Topics include the following: -Theistic and deistic beliefs in the Founders, including Franklin and Jefferson -The different religious groups in the Colonies, from Baptists and Catholics to Anglicans and Quakers -Biblical and theological arguments for and against revolution as well as submission to the King -Grievance #20 in the Declaration, which references the Quebec Act of 1774, which allowed for the establishment of Catholicism in the Canadian colony of Quebec -Jefferson's Act for Establishing Religious Freedom (1779) -The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment
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    1 hr
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