Live at the National Constitution Center

The National Constitution Center previews the Supreme Court’s 2026-2027 term

In celebration of Constitution Day, the National Constitution Center explores the lives and legacies of John Dickinson, Gouverneur Morris, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson, four “forgotten founders” who played critical roles in drafting the Constitution, shaping the structure of the new government, and securing the document’s ratification.

In this episode, Stanford University Professor Caroline Winterer explores how the American founders drew inspiration from not only classical Greece and Rome, but other civilizations in the ancient world, including Carthage, Rome’s mortal enemy. In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the conversation explores how the founders looked much more broadly in the ancient world for inspiration during the American Revolution and how these ideas have shaped our constitutional democracy. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program was presented in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania Department of Classical Studies. It was the first in a three-part lecture series featuring Caroline Winterer titled “American Antiquities: Beyond the Classical World of the American Founders.” Information on the additional two lectures can be found here. Resources What the Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans, National Constitution Center Town Hall, December 3, 2020 Caroline Winterer, American Enlightenments: Pursuing Happiness in the Age of Reason (2016) Caroline Winterer, The Mirror of Antiquity: American Women and the Classical Tradition, 1750–1900 (2007) Caroline Winterer, The Culture of Classicism: Ancient Greece and Rome in American Intellectual Life, 1780-1910 (2004) Stay Connected and Learn More Stay connected with Live at the National Constitution Center—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. Questions or comments? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sign up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. Support our important work by making a donation today. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate⁠⁠

Technology and constitutional scholar Jonathan Zittrain and Distinguished Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School Ellen Goodman examine the intersection of the First Amendment and artificial intelligence.

Timothy Sandefur joins to discuss his new book, Proclaiming Liberty: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Declaration of Independence.