Historian Robert G. Parkinson offers a fresh interpretation of the nation’s founding document.

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The Declaration of Independence is considered a foundational statement of American ideals, with its preamble’s powerful language of equality and freedom—including the opening line, “all men are created equal”—resonating for generations. But it was also a document born from the realities of a violent and uncertain war. Robert G. Parkinson, professor of history at Binghamton University, looks beyond its famous opening to examine the section known as the twenty-seven grievances against King George III, which formed the core of the colonists’ case against Great Britain. Drawing on years of research into the Revolutionary era, including the Library’s Digital Collections, Parkinson brings new attention to the conflicts and concerns that shaped the Declaration and the path to independence.

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ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Robert G. Parkinson is professor of history at Binghamton University. He is the author of The Common Cause, Thirteen Clocks, and Heart of American Darkness. He lives in Charles Town, West Virginia.

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Robert G. Parkinson © Abigail Parkinson