Robert Watson — Declaration: Little-Known Stories of American Independence
Historian Robert Watson uncovers overlooked stories and common myths behind the Declaration of Independence as part of the Liberty 250 lecture series.
Why we picked this
Hard to find a better setting for a talk about the Declaration than the building where Washington said goodbye to his officers. Watson goes past the familiar narrative into the stories most textbooks skip.
Historian Robert Watson explores the lesser-known stories behind the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the American republic. Part of the Liberty 250 lecture series marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, Watson digs into the fun, surprising, and sometimes misunderstood details that don’t usually make it into the standard telling — myths that stuck, figures who got overlooked, and decisions that could have gone very differently.
The lecture is co-sponsored by the Legal History Committee of the New York City Bar Association and takes place at Fraunces Tavern Museum, the 18th-century landmark where much of this history actually happened. Few venues in New York carry more direct relevance to the material.
$10 in person. Museum members and virtual attendees free. Available via Zoom.