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Book cover titled "Divided Over the Declaration," featuring a historical illustration and quotes on a text background.

Divided Over the Declaration: How an Enduring Debate Sustains the Vision of America

On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, the story of the Declaration of Independence is the story of an ongoing debate over the meaning of equality, liberty, and unalienable rights — a debate shaped by the Founders and carried forward by generations of Americans. Discover the on-going legacy of the document that has inspired and united Americans since 1776.

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Meet the Author

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David Bobb

BRI Executive TeamPresident and CEO

David joined the Bill of Rights Institute as president in 2013 and has worked for twenty years at the intersection of civic engagement and education reform. Having taught courses in American politics and public policy in the history and political science departments of Boston College and Hillsdale College, he was also founding director of a national civic education program for high school teachers at Hillsdale College, as well as the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Studies, in Washington, D.C. David has designed online educational programs used by more than half a million participants and is a nationally-recognized proponent of civic education that engages the hearts and minds of students. Author of Humility: An Unlikely Biography of America’s Greatest Virtue (HarperCollins, 2013) and Divided over the Declaration: How an Enduring Debate Sustains the Vision of America (Diversion Books, 2026), David has written for the Wall Street Journal and Fast Company, among many other publications. He earned his Ph.D. in political science from Boston College, where he received fellowships from the Pew, Earhart, and Bradley Foundations. Contact David at dbobb@billofrightsinstitute.org

Praise for Divided over the Declaration

“A timely book for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and a bold invitation to discuss the meaning of the timeless principles of America’s defining document.” ~ Shilo Brooks, President and CEO, George W. Bush Presidential Center
Sometimes a book is published with just the right message at just the right time. David Bobb and Tony Williams are bringing us that book now...The principles not only withstand the test of time but bind us together whenever we foolishly try and pull apart at the seams. I know their message will resonate with both academics and the average citizen alike.” ~ Colonel Robert Naething, US Army (retired)
Highly readable and peppered with riveting anecdotes, Divided takes the reader on a journey that begins with Thomas Jefferson...and culminates in the 1963 March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lewis. An engrossing history lesson in itself, Divided makes a strong argument for better civics and history education, so that the Declaration’s relevance never fades. ~ Joseph Wheelan, author