In celebration of the 249th anniversary of America's independence, we look back not so much on the history of the Declaration of Independence, but on its meaning. And not just its meaning then, but its enduring meaning and what we can and should take from it now.

This special episode contains the content of the first of three classes within our free, self-paced online course, "The American Idea." If you enroll, you can listen to thoughtful discussions of the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. You'll also be able to download a free PDF course reader so you can read these documents, and others, and discover their meaning yourself.

Register here: https://courses.ashbrook.org/register/

Host: Jeff Sikkenga

Executive Producer: Jeremy Gypton

Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/theamericanidea