Sidebar: “The Author and Signers of the Declaration of Independence,” by Woodrow Wilson

The History of the Americans

This episode is a “sidebar,” in this case way, way, way, off the timeline. The title of the episode is also the title of a speech given by Woodrow Wilson on July 4, 1907. The occasion was the Jamestown Exposition in Norfolk, Virginia that year, staged to recognize the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown Colony. Wilson's text in fact travels a long way from its title. The speech is actually about adopting the principles of the Declaration, as Wilson defines them, to regulating a new development, the multinational corporation. The speech is also a window into American politics just over half way between the signing of the Declaration and the present day, when we were fundamentally reconsidering the role of the federal government in our economic and civil lives. You will also see that more than a decade before the Russian Revolution even progressive American politicians were worried about socialism. https://subscribebyemail.com/thehistoryoftheamericans.com/?feed=podcast References and other resources for this episode Woodrow Wilson, "The Author and Signers of the Declaration of Independence" Woodrow Wilson (Wikipedia) Progressive Era (Wikipedia)