America Was Not Founded by 'Tariff Men,' Contrary to This Painting in Trump's White House
Free trade is "a direct affront to our Founding Fathers," President Donald Trump said during his first presidential campaign.
American Revolution
Writings on the Declaration of Independence and the Meaning of the American Revolution
Links to some of my previous writings on these topics, which remain relevant on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration.
On America's 250th Birthday, the United States Arms the World's Tyrannies
On a Fourth of July, John Quincy Adams warned against the foreign policy that his successors would later adopt.
1776 All-Stars: George Washington Was a Model of Restraint
America's first president helped establish the tradition of military submission to civilian authority.
Review: This Iconic Musical Reminds Us That Open Debate Still Matters
1776 is a musical about John Adams' pursuit of American independence.
Americans Will Never Shut Up or Do As We're Told
Two distinctly American traits that powered the Revolution: We don't like being told what to do by our supposed betters, and we really don't like being told to shut up.
What Makes Someone American? It's Neither Creed Nor Bloodline—It's a Spirit
After 250 years, Americans are still considering this basic question.
On America's 250th Birthday, Celebrate Liberty
Most Americans still appreciate the freedom the country was founded upon.
Review: Gore Vidal's Burr Is the Anti-Hamilton
America's Founding through the eyes of the least popular Founding Father
Washington and His Men Knew How To Party
America was founded by drinkers, distillers, and maltmen whose consumption would be labeled problematic by today's public health authorities.
Thomas Paine: The Founding Father Worth Celebrating
As America races toward its 250th birthday, Paine is the Founding Father to cast our lot with.
1776 All-Stars: Patrick Henry Knew To Fear American Kings
Henry's warning about presidential powers is especially prescient today.
The American Revolution Isn't Over
Washington’s troops won the ground war, but today's left and right are waging war on the ideals of the Revolution.
The Gun That Won the Revolution
The American Long Rifle was accurate at long distances, unlike British smoothbores.
The British Statesman Who Recognized America's 'Fierce Spirit of Liberty'
"When you drive him hard, the boar will surely turn upon the hunters," Edmund Burke warned Parliament. What if the British government had followed his advice?
Review: A Fresh-Eyed Tour Through Revolutionary America
My American Revolution revisits the American Revolution through those that keep the revolutionary spirit alive.
Mainstream Media Whines About Europeans Loving America
Robby Soave and Amber Duke discuss a misleading Atlantic article about World Cup visitors.
Joy Reid: "Nobody Black I Know Is Really Excited About the Fourth of July"
Robby Soave and Amber Duke discuss Joy Reid's recent remarks about July Fourth.
Trump Blames Reflecting Pool Disaster on 'Vandals'
Robby Soave and Amber Duke discuss how the refurbishment of D.C.’s Reflecting Pool has gone off the rails.
America's Founders Blended Liberalism and Religion
If the fusionist account of history is correct, the anti-fusionists are engaged in a far more radical project than most of them are willing to admit.
1776 All-Stars: Why a Pseudonymous Anti-Federalist Is My Favorite Founder
The man known only as "A Farmer" warned against the "sword of government."
1776 All-Stars: Why George Mason Is Extremely Underrated
I'm not saying that just because I teach at the university named after him.
Comic: It's America's Founding Fake News Terrorist, Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams sets his sights on Tory lackeys.
Disillusioned Revolutionaries: Many Founders Died in Despair About the American Experiment
America's Founders helped create a world they were not yet ready to live in.
Review: George Washington's Apple Brandy
A replica of Washington's apple brandy is available for purchase at his Mount Vernon estate.
Review: The Lesser-Known Texts That Shaped the American Revolution
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution draws upon writings and speeches you might not have heard of.
Gordon Wood's Enduring Defense of the American Revolution
Plus: When tattoos meet copyright law
1776 All-Stars: Why Thomas Jefferson Is the Most Fascinating Founder
The author of the Declaration of Independence may have written "the greatest sentence ever."
Gordon Wood, RIP
The great historian of the American Founding passed away yesterday, killed by a car while walking.
Neil Gorsuch on the Declaration of Independence, Originalism, and Separation of Powers
"There was nothing inevitable about it. Absolutely nothing," the Supreme Court justice tells Reason's Nick Gillespie.
1776 All-Stars: Samuel Adams Was the Most Libertarian Founder
The libertarian rabble-rouser who helped ignite the American Revolution
Native Americans Taught Colonists How To Fight—and To Live Without Kings
Unlike in Europe, native rulers had little formal authority; they had to persuade others to follow their ideas.
Review: Visit Independence Hall, Where Founders Signed Their Own 'Death Warrants'
Modern visitors to the site where they signed the Declaration of Independence can still feel a sense of uncertainty and trepidation.
America, 250 Years Ago: July 2026 Puzzle
"City where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776"
1776 All-Stars: Benjamin Franklin Reminds Us To Just Do Things
Franklin was fundamentally an optimist, and his life reminds us that politics is not what really matters.
Introducing Reason's America 250 Issue
America was a bicentennial basketcase. For the sestercentennial, we're in shambles. But there are still many reasons to celebrate.
Trump Loves Accusing Critics of Treason. U.S. Law Makes That Charge Hard To Prove—for Good Reason.
The president’s habitual attempts to criminalize dissent hark back to tyrants of yore.
The Foreign-Born Heroes Who Chose America
Immigrants have fought for America's founding promise because they understood it, not because they inherited it.
Right-Wing Influencers Don't Understand What Makes America Great
The Dissident Right is furious with Neil Gorsuch for saying America is a creedal nation. That just goes to show how out of touch its obsessions are.
How the Slaveholding Founders Really Felt About Slavery
Angst, guilt, and more self-awareness than you might expect
America's Performance Review
Andrew Heaton takes stock of the United States on its 250th birthday.
Chief Justice Roberts on the Declaration of Independence
Roberts' year-end report on the federal judiciary includes some notable statements about the Declaration and its relevance to constitutional interpretation and judicial review.
What We Get Wrong About the American Revolution
Filmmaker Ken Burns breaks down the myths surrounding America’s founding, explains how the Declaration’s own contradictions ultimately expanded American freedom, and argues for the continued funding of public broadcasting.
Gordon Wood on America as a "Creedal Nation" Open to all Races and Ethnicities
Wood is the leading living historian of the American Founding. He pushes back here against those who claim America should be an ethno-nationalist polity.
Writings on the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution
Links to some of my previous writings on these topics, which remain relevant today.
