On this episode of Our American Stories, war had already broken out in the American colonies, but declaring independence meant crossing a line from which there could be no return. In this episode of our ongoing Story of America Series, Hillsdale College professor and author of Land of Hope, Bill McClay, shares the story of how the Continental Congress arrived at that momentous decision and why the Declaration of Independence became one of the most consequential documents in human history.

Drawing on the words of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, McClay explains how the Declaration was meant as both a justification to the world and a solemn pledge among its signers, men who knew they were committing treason and were willing to risk their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.

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