Life, Liberty & the Rocky Pursuit of Happiness

The promise of happiness has never been evenly distributed. By declaring that all people possess inherent rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the Declaration of Independence cast the United States of America as a place of aspiration and possibility. Across generations, Americans have pursued, challenged and redefined these promises in different ways. Yet from the nation’s earliest days, access to those ideals has been shaped by circumstance, status and struggle.

As America celebrates its 250th Anniversary, the tenets of democracy are being rigorously debated and challenged as they were during the revolution. WHYY and The McNeil Center for Early American Studies at Penn have come together to explore early American life during the American Revolution. Historians and experts will explore the Declaration of Independence and its civic impact. Attendees can expect to participate in fruitful discussions about revolutionary life, democracy and how America’s ideal for the pursuit of happiness is an ongoing promise. Revolutionary reenactors will bring the civics exploration to life.

This event is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.