Gary Gerstle is Paul Mellon Professor of American History Emeritus at the University of Cambridge. Gerstle received his BA from Brown University and his MA and PhD from Harvard University. He is the author, editor, and coeditor of more than ten books. He is the 2026 Chair of American Law and Governance John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. He is working on a new book, Politics in Our Time: Authoritarian Peril and Democratic Hope in the Twenty-First Century. He resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Read the full bio here.
Washington, DC: Does the Declaration Still Resonate? A 250‑Year Reflection
Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 6.30pm to 8.00pm EDT
Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 6.30pm to 8.00pm EDT
“When in the Course of human events…” With these iconic words, one of history’s most influential documents—the Declaration of Independence—announced the intent of thirteen American colonies to break from Great Britain. As the United States marks its 250th year, new questions emerge: Does the Declaration hold the same meaning today as it did in 1776? Do the ideals championed by figures such as Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, and the other Founding Fathers still resonate in current times? And has the Declaration always been viewed with the reverence it receives today?
Join Gary Gerstle, Paul Mellon Professor of American History Emeritus at the University of Cambridge, and Free Press columnist Charles Lane for a thought‑provoking conversation about the evolving significance of the Declaration of Independence—its impact on the nation’s history and its relevance today.
Charles Lane is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on American politics, American culture, and asylum policy. He is a columnist for The Free Press. Before joining AEI, Mr. Lane held several positions at The Washington Post, where he was a staff writer covering the United States Supreme Court, an editorial board member and columnist, and the deputy opinion editor. He was previously the editor of The New Republic and the Berlin bureau chief, the general editor, and a San Salvador–based correspondent for Newsweek. Mr. Lane’s writing has appeared extensively in the popular press, including in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, City Journal, National Affairs, The Atlantic, Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author several books on U.S. history and legal affairs, including Freedom’s Detective: The Secret Service, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Man Who Masterminded America’s First War on Terror and The Day Freedom Died: The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court, and the Betrayal of Reconstruction.
Booking information
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Location
The Mayflower Hotel
1127 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States
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