Sarah Churchwell, David Olusoga and Sarah Pearsall

Two and a half centuries after the Declaration of Independence, what can historians teach us about the past, present and future of the United States? Who’s really benefitted from the core promises enshrined in the Declaration of equality, liberty and happiness? Writer and professor of American literature Sarah Churchwell and British-Nigerian historian and BAFTA-winning film-maker David Olusoga are joined by author Sarah Pearsall.

Churchwell explores the myths used as origin stories for the United States, and how they still permeate the way the country’s self-image is sold to the rest of the world. Olusoga highlights the persistent legacy of Empire, obstructing the founding ideals and still stubbornly structuring the present. And Pearsall introduces her new book Freedom Round the Globe: How the World Made the American Revolution, revealing how the fires of change that sparked the American Revolution were igniting all around the world.