JUNE 24: Ted Widmer with New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie
Watch the recording on YouTube
Ted Widmer traces the origins and legacy of the words and ideas that made America in conversation with
The New York Times’ Jamelle Bouie, hosted by the New York Society Library.
JUNE 25: Ted Widmer with Brian Bergstein
Watch the recording on Vimeo
Ted Widmer joins Brian Bergstein of
The Boston Globe for a conversation exploring the origins and lasting impact of the words and ideas that shaped America, hosted by Revolutionary Spaces at the Old State House in Boston.
JULY 9: Rhode Island’s Declarations with Ted Widmer
Check back soon for the recording.
Redwood Library & Athenaeum, Newport, RI
JULY 16: Created Equal, 1826–1865
Watch the recording on YouTubeChicago Public Library, in partnership with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library & MuseumHow did Americans reconcile the Declaration of Independence’s soaring promise of equality with the poisonous reality of slavery? Ted Widmer joins Christina Shutt, the executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, for a discussion framed by staged readings of key historical texts by actors Maura Kidwell (
The Bear) and Chiké Johnson (Remy Bumppo Theater).
SEPTEMBER 22: The Pursuit of Happiness, 1945 to Today Watch the recording on YouTubeLibrary Foundation of Los Angeles / ALOUD
Is “happiness” still an essential human right? 250 years after the Declaration of Independence was written, we are looking closely at what the “pursuit of happiness” means today. ALOUD and the Library of America present a program bringing together a dynamic line-up of artists, activists, writers, and historians to explore the past, present, and future of this American ideal. The evening will feature live readings from Pico Iyer, Héctor Tobar, Youngmi Mayer, Gary Tyler, and Ted Widmer, and be book-ended by a blues medley curated by Rob Stone.
SEPTEMBER 30: When in the Course of Human Events, 1689–1776, Part I Massachusetts Historical Society, BostonWhy do we have a Declaration of Independence? Why does it include language about human rights? In conversation, historian and former presidential speechwriter Ted Widmer explores the complex lineage of the words and ideas in the Declaration and the dramatic sequence of events, many of them originating in Massachusetts, that led to the creation of the most consequential state paper in history. Join us for a lively discussion and the opportunity to view key MHS holdings like Thomas Jefferson's original manuscript copy of the Declaration.
OCTOBER 10: Among the Powers of the Earth, 1865–1945
Register Now (in-person event only)Historic New Orleans Collection
For more than 250 years the principles of the Declaration of Independence—natural rights, equality, and the consent of the governed asthe source of all legitimate power—have shaped our national history and spurred democratic aspirations around the world. In this program, Ted Widmer will focus on the period between the Civil War and World War II, when the US emerged as an industrial heavyweight “among the Powers of the Earth.” Actors will perform staged readings of writings by such diverse Americans as Emma Goldman, H. L. Mencken, Huey Long, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
OCTOBER 13: Ted Widmer with John FarrRSVP NowBedford Playhouse, Clive Davis Arts Center, Bedford, NY
OCTOBER 21: Governments Are Instituted, 1776–1826
RSVP Now (in person & online)National Constitution Center in Philadelphia
Ted Widmer joins scholars Eric Slauter (University of Chicago) and Lucas Morel (Washington & Lee University) for a conversation exploring the long afterlife of the Declaration of Independence. Reflecting particularly on our nation’s first half century, they will discuss the Declaration’s ideas and ideals, the people and events that shaped how the first generations of Americans interpreted and sought to embody them, and the document’s continuing influence, from politics and public debate to culture and civic life. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.
NOVEMBER 13: When in the Course of Human Events, 1689–1776, Part II
Monticello, VirginiaJANUARY 21: Ted Widmer at the Clough CenterMore InformationThe Clough Center for Constitutional Democracy, Boston CollegeSponsored by the John and Ruth Galvin Fund
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