This is the second in a multi-part series of episodes about the radicalism of the Declaration of Independence and enduring importance of the American Revolution.

The Declaration of Independence contains the most recognizable words in American history, a source of egalitarian inspiration that transcends time. But at the time they drafted the document, the Continental Congress was absorbed with more earthly matters than debating Enlightenment philosophy. They had a war effort to oversee and politics to deal with. The British were landing thousands of troops in New York. Public opinion was split. Inflation was soaring. In this episode, historian Jack Rakove discusses the pragmatic and ideological concerns of the 18th-century revolutionaries whose efforts would have a radical influence on world history.