Class Description
The Declaration of Independence is a peculiar thing. It’s a literary masterpiece that was written jointly by a committee of fifty people. It’s short and punchy—just 1310 words long—but still somehow daunting and difficult to get to grips with (there’s a reason most of us have never read it in full and can only quote the first third of its second sentence). And what is it exactly? Is it a birth certificate announcing happy news, or a petition for divorce full of grievance and score-settling, or something else? Is it aimed at the American people, or King George, or someone else? Was it the first ever declaration of independence, or a cheap imitation of a genre already well established? What did people at the time make of it? What did it change? Why does it matter? In this four-part lecture series, Richard Bell, a professor of history at the University of Maryland, will tackle the fascinating origins, misunderstood purpose, and extraordinary global legacy of the Declaration of Independence.
All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.
Richard Bell is Professor of History at the University of Maryland and author of the new book The American Revolution and the Fate of the World, published by Penguin this past November.
This class is presented in conjunction with our exhibition, Free and Independent: The Declaration of Independence and the Words that Made the United States, opening April 9, 2026.
What to Expect
Format: Virtual
Class Capacity: 30
Class Style: Lecture or presentation; option for questions
Materials List
No Required Materials
Cost and Registration
4 Sessions, $95 ($85.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($95), Community Supported ($90), and Sponsor ($100). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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