The Declaration of Independence (1776)
About this episode
The episode discusses the complexities of American identity and history, focusing on the Declaration of Independence and the qualities that define the nation.
The World Cup is making its way across the United States this summer, and with it, there is a newfound international appreciation for all things American. While the mass media is fond of highlighting the broad European fascination, nay, envy, of our humming temperature-controlled interiors; our giant Buckee’s, Wal-Marts, and refrigerated meat departments; and our ubiquitous “ranch sauce,” I hope there is something more brewing amidst the fervor that infects those within her borders. America is as divided as it is majestic. It is today, as it was in the 1970s, as it was in the 1860s, as it will be again. I, for one, find the tendency towards eyebrow-raising and cynical observation an all-too-alluring siren song, and I don’t think such dispositions deliver any worthy outcomes. Rather, I aim to focus my energy on what Helen Keller named, in 1929, “the pioneer qualities ” of the country, “ the large, free, unconventional, humorous point of view of men who sail new seas and blaze new trails through the wilderness .” These admirable, creative pioneer qualities are what have lifted up generations of ambitious, hard-working, determined families. They have also given birth to, quite…
People in this episode
Host: Ruby Love
Topics covered
- American history
- Declaration of Independence
- pioneer qualities
- cultural observations
- diversity in America
Keywords
- Declaration of Independence
- John Adams
- Helen Keller
- American culture
- World Cup
- pioneer qualities
- historical reflection
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Declaration of Independence
Places: United States
More episodes of Classics Read Aloud
- The Kiss, Anton Chekhov (1887)
- Double Birthday, Willa Cather (1929)
- Big Two-Hearted River, Ernest Hemingway (1925)
- “Indian Summer of a Forsyte” from The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy (1918)
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