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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence

By: Andrew Sola and Amerikazentrum-Hamburg
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 Learn more about the Declaration of Independence for the 250-year anniversary with this interdisciplinary podcast, featuring experts from the USA and around the world. The series is produced and hosted by Dr. Andrew Sola and the Amerikazentrum, Hamburg.Andrew Sola & Amerikazentrum Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • The Quartering Act and Homosexuality in the Colonies

    The Quartering Act and Homosexuality in the Colonies
    Jun 12 2025
    "He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures." This Pride Month episode focuses on two questions. First, why were American colonists increasingly frustrated with the presence of British troops in the Colonies? Second, to what extent were Thomas Jefferson and the Founders aware of LGBTQ+ issues at the nation's founding? Topics include the following: -Grievances 11, 12, and 14 in the Declaration of the Independence -The Quartering Act of 1774 -Evidentiary problems when trying to access LGBTQ+ history -'Disordered' sexuality in the Colonies, including gay sex and master-slave sexual relations -Similarities and differences in the treatment of homosexuals in Great Britain and the Colonies -Reasons for the low number of executions of gay men in the Colonies -Molly Houses and Macaronis -Concepts of Masculinity in the Colonies
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    52 mins
  • Religion in the Declaration of Independence

    Religion in the Declaration of Independence
    Jun 5 2025
    The Declaration of Independence uses the words 'God,' 'the Creator,' and 'Divine Providence,' but many of the Founders were highly skeptical of both Christianity and also organized religion, preferring the scientific and rational ideals of the Enlightenment. In this episode, we explore the tensions between religion and reason in the Declaration of Independence. Topics include the following: -Theistic and deistic beliefs in the Founders, including Franklin and Jefferson -The different religious groups in the Colonies, from Baptists and Catholics to Anglicans and Quakers -Biblical and theological arguments for and against revolution as well as submission to the King -Grievance #20 in the Declaration, which references the Quebec Act of 1774, which allowed for the establishment of Catholicism in the Canadian colony of Quebec -Jefferson's Act for Establishing Religious Freedom (1779) -The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment
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    1 hr
  • The Importance of Free Trade and Immigration in the Declaration

    The Importance of Free Trade and Immigration in the Declaration
    May 28 2025
    "He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of the new Appropriation of Lands" ..."for cutting off trade with all parts of the world." In this episode, Steven Pincus explores grievances against King George for restricting free trade and for preventing immigration to the colonies. Topics include the following: -The importance of the trans-Atlantic Patriot Party, which existed both in Great Britain and throughout the Empire and which criticized the policies of King George for ruling as the King of England alone, rather than the King of the whole Empire -Economic justifications and criticisms of the Stamp Act (1765), the Townshend Acts (1767), and the Fairfax Resolves (1774) -The evolving splits in the Patriot Party that led some like Thomas Paine to advocate for independence others like Governor John Wentworth of New Hampshire to for advocate reform while remaining loyal to the King -Reasons behind the pro-immigration beliefs of the Patriot Party
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    53 mins
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