After the Declaration

A dramatic trial during the Revolutionary War helped Americans reckon with the significance of independence from Great Britain. In The American Revolution on Trial: A New Nation Confronts the Burden of Independence, T.H. Breen, emeritus professor of American history at Northwestern University, explores how an American case against a British general provided the setting for the new nation to assert its political and cultural independence, allowing the new republic to show itself and the world that it was capable of delivering justice and securing the rule of law.

During this saga, an American prosecutor, who trained in the law offices of future president John Adams, helped to establish the legitimacy of the American republic, as he offered a critique of nobility and aristocratic privilege while making the case for a political order based on equality. Breen joins moderator Paul Halliday, UVA professor of history.

A limited number of lunches will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 11:30 AM. Breen’s book will be available for purchase. Parking is not available at Bond House. You can access Bond House by riding UVA Transit’s Orange Line. If you plan to drive, there is paid parking within walking distance at the Oakhurst Inn and Central Grounds Garage. For additional handicap accessible parking spots, consult the UVA accessibility map.

The Nau Lab's “Touchstones of Democracy” series explores key events, places, thinkers, and texts that inform the history and principles of democracy. The fall 2026 conversations are produced at the University of Virginia by the Karsh Institute of Democracy and the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.