1776 | The Legacy For Our Culture | 1
6/16/202641 min
Why did African Americans spend a century celebrating the Fifth of July instead of the Fourth? Why did a sitting US president personally try to end a journalist's career over one newspaper series? And two hundred and fifty years on, why can't America agree on what its founding document actually means?
A 250-year-old promise of equality collides with slavery, revolution and a modern-day tenure battle as Afua and Peter close out their Declaration of Independence series.
[1:28] Fifty-six men sign in Philadelphia — many of them slave owners writing "all men are created equal"
[8:07] Lafayette's regret: "I would never have drawn my sword..."
[11:42] Why a Virginia senator can't stomach Bolívar's revolution
[15:20] Why Black Americans spent a century celebrating the Fifth of July instead
[17:27] Frederick Douglass asks the question that still stings: "What to the slave is the Fourth of July?"
[18:53] The project that says America was really founded in 1619
[28:55] A sitting president personally tries to take the story down
[30:54] She wins a Pulitzer. Her university refuses her tenure anyway.
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Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas:
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Join Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more.
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Stay connected with Legacy:
Instagram: @originallegacypodcast
TikTok: @legacy_productions
Explore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAfua Hirsch· Host0:00
America is about to turn two hundred and fifty. And one of the things that is undeniable as we approach this anniversary is the fact that what the Declaration of Independence actually meant, how much we should respect, admire, even accept it for what it claims to be, is still being litigated in real time.
Peter Frankopan· Host0:20
It's remarkable that a document that's two hundred fifty years old this year isn't just alive in culture, but is constantly being contested. And that's what we're gonna talk about today in this last episode on the legacy of the Declaration of Independence.
Afua Hirsch· Host0:32
From musical theater to violent insurrections, to a presidential intervention over a newspaper series, why is seventeen seventy-six still so contentious? And what does it mean for us all?
Peter Frankopan· Host0:46
Hello, and welcome to a new episode of Legacy. I'm Peter Frankopan.
Afua Hirsch· Host0:51
I'm Afua Hirsch.
Peter Frankopan· Host0:52
And this is Legacy, the show that explores the lives, events, and ideas that have shaped our world and asks whether they have the reputations that they truly deserve.
Afua Hirsch· Host1:01
This is seventeen seventy-six, the legacy for our culture.
Peter Frankopan· Host1:05
Thanks for joining us on Legacy today. To support the show, please sign up to Legacy Plus.
Afua Hirsch· Host1:15
You can enjoy early access, fewer ads, Q and As, and bonus content, like when we spoke with Professor Helen Thompson about the conflict in Iran, or when we explored the legacy of the humble fish finger.
Peter Frankopan· Host1:27
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