As Americans celebrate Independence Day, this week’s episode dives into the Declaration of Independence—tracing where its words and its ideals came from and how it influenced key texts including the Constitution. Jeffrey Rosen was joined by Akhil Reed Amar of Yale Law School and Steve Calabresi of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

Jeffrey Rosen joined experts for a two-part conversation on state constitutions and their impact on the U.S. Constitution. First, Rosen was joined by A.E. Dick Howard of the University of Virginia to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Virginia Constitution, which Howard helped draft. Rosen was then joined by two experts on state constitutions: Judge Jeffrey Sutton and professor Emily Zackin.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Read Interpretations on the Interactive Constitution >

Questions or comments? Email us at [email protected].