History

Today, the Declaration of Independence stands at the center of America’s founding moment and as a tribute to a new nation’s idealism. In 1776, the language was treated like any other document, edited in ways that caused author Thomas Jefferson angst over its “mutilations.” This year, a special project at Penn’s Common Press this year brought the Declaration to life through a public, interactive papermaking and printing exercise that will continue through this fall, and Penn experts on the Declaration reflect on its words and meaning. 

In 1776, America stood at a crossroads. This diverse set of stories illuminates Revolutionary Philadelphia and the emerging nation, including the stories of the daily lives of ordinary people as told by students, an exploration of early institutions and the economic forces shaping the era, and the cultural and intellectual landscape of the Revolution and its era.

Dorothy Roberts’ memoir on interracial families in America

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