August 17, 2018

In this episode of "The Age of Jackson" podcast, host Daniel N. Gullotta sits down with Richard D. Brown, author of Self-Evident Truths, to discuss how Americans translated the lofty ideals cited in the Declaration of Independence into practice in the decades following the American Revolution.

February 13, 2018

In this hour-long podcast, author Lilian Calles Barger of the New Books Network interviews Richard Brown about the larger themes and timely relevance of his latest book, Self-Evident Truths.

September 11, 2017

“We are a nation founded on the truth that all of us are created equal.”  These words are true; but it is also true that the equality of rights proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution has never been fully realized. In this blog post, Richard Brown explores the long history of tension between privilege and the struggle for equality in the United States, from the colonial period through the present day.

June 28, 2017

This essay for Aeon magazine, adapted from Chapter 2 of Richard Brown's latest book, Self-Evident Truths, thoroughly examines the intellectual and cultural origins of the promises of religious freedom that were debated -- and codified into law -- during the early years of the American republic.

June 26, 2017

The ideal of equal rights articulated in the Declaration of Independence was at the core of the founding of the United States on July 4, 1776. Yet the young nation struggled with every form of social inequality, despite the declaration that “all men are created equal.” In a new book (Self-Evident Truths), Richard D. Brown traces how the ideal was tested over issues of race and ethnicity, religious freedom, gender and social class, voting rights, and citizenship. He spoke with Kenneth Best at UConn Today about how some of these issues continue to evolve.

June 23, 2017

While the challenges of fake news, like misleading and erroneous journalism, are nothing new, today's mass media-driven politics create enormous challenges for citizens seeking credible news. In this essay for Yale University Press, Richard Brown presents a thoroughly American history of fake news, including several "historic warnings about the necessity of accurate information" from notable Founders.

April 05, 2017

Were the authors of America's founding documents truly egalitarians? In this long-form multi-book review for The Nation, Sophia Rosenfeld examines three recently-published books, including Self-Evident Truths, that tackle the subject of equality and civil rights in Early America.

March 20, 2017

The phrase "All Men Are Created Equal" may be universally familiar to Americans today, but how revolutionary was the concept in the late 18th century?  Writing for the Age of Revolutions blog, Richard D. Brown explains the social, cultural, and political climate in which the Declaration of Independence was crafted.

March 15, 2017

From The Way of Improvement Leads Home blog, historian John Fea conducts a brief interview with Richard Brown, asking him about what inspired him to write his latest book, Self-Evident Truths, and the historical arguments contained therein.

January 24, 2017

A new op-ed by Richard Brown poses a timely question with a historically-informed answer: How can the U.S. achieve a society where something like equal opportunity prevails? In this article for Yale University Press, Brown discusses how modern-day America is defined by widespread inequality despite the idealistic promises set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

January 11, 2017

Kansas has a curious problem on its hands: For the first time since 1861, the 40-member legislative body has zero attorneys, despite an obscure statute that requires one. Jacob Gershman explores the history of lawyers as congressmen at both the state and federal level in this article from the Wall Street Journal.

October 17, 2016

In the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, the voters who elected presidents from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln included many thousands who were not United States citizens. In this article, published in a special politically-themed issue of Common-place: The Journal of Early American Life, Richard D. Brown discusses the history of suffrage and citizenship in America.

June 14, 2016

Kansas has a curious problem on its hands: For the first time since 1861, the 40-member legislative body has zero attorneys, despite an obscure statute that requires one. Jacob Gershman explores the history of lawyers as congressmen at both the state and federal level in this article from the Wall Street Journal.

March 14, 2016

Written by Richard Brown for Harvard Magazine, this brief biography summarizes the life and accomplishments of of Caleb Strong (1745-1819), a notable Harvard Alumnus, lawyer, and Federalist politician.

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July 05, 2014

In this op-ed published by the Los Angeles Times, professors Richard D. Brown and Bruce H. Mann discuss America's growing income inequality and whether or not the U.S. is headed toward another Gilded Age.

August 16, 2013

"On the night of Aug. 27, 1963, I boarded a bus in Boston for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom." In the pages of the Hartford Courant, Richard D. Brown remembers his participation in the 1963 March on Washington and reflects upon the progress made in the name of Civil Rights over the last fifty years.