Earlier this week, Americans celebrated one of their most meaningful holidays, their country’s Independence Day.
It’s a day every American knows, a day spent with food, family, and fireworks.
See Also: Why the American Revolution Was Really an Economic Revolution
But, many Americans don’t know the real story that led to July 4, 1776. What drove our Founding Fathers to risk everything they had, and usher in a birth of a new nation?
To help answer that question, we recruited Professor Sarah Burns, an expert in the ideological origins of the American Revolution. Over the course of the next two weeks, Professor Burns will take us on a journey through the actions, stressors, and decisions made that led to the founding of our nation.
Related: The Two Ideas That Made America
So if you’re interested in not just how we became a country, but why, join us as we cut through the myths and explore the history behind our country’s origins.

Photo Credit: Zach Dischner via Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/35557234@N07/4680704222) under CC by 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)