Thomas Jefferson's Monticello & More Perfect Launch Declaration of Independence Book Club Ahead of America's 250th Birthday

A National Invitation to Revisit America's Founding Ideals and Reflect on Their Meaning Today

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Monticello and More Perfect are proud to announce the launch of the Declaration of Independence Book Club, a nationwide invitation for Americans to reflect on the founding document that declared our independence and continues to define our democratic promise.

The Book Club, launched on July 4, 2025 at Monticello, marks the beginning of a year-long civic engagement initiative leading up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. In three guided sessions, participants will explore the Declaration's revolutionary ideas, its complex legacy, and what it means to affirm those ideals today.

Designed for book clubs, classrooms, faith communities, and civic groups, the Declaration of Independence Book Club Reader is free and available online. It includes short essays, historical timelines, discussion questions, and video content to support both in-person and virtual conversations. The sessions are organized around three themes:

• 1776: The year the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted, declaring the Thirteen Colonies as independent from Great Britain.
• 1826: The 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the year that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4.
• Legacies: How the Declaration has shaped movements across time, from Philadelphia to Selma

"The Declaration Book Club is one of the many exciting elements of our celebration of the nation's 250th birthday in 2026," said Jane Kamensky, president of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. "We think Americans are hungry for the opportunity to rediscover, discuss, and celebrate the Declaration. We can all take inspiration from its global impact and lasting legacy."

The Declaration of Independence Book Club is part of a growing constellation of efforts to mark America's semiquincentennial by reconnecting Americans across differences in conversation about the values that define us. The initiative will also be featured at a Constitution Day event on September 17 hosted by More Perfect and iCivics at American University.

"The Declaration is more than a historical artifact; it's a living promise," said More Perfect CEO, John Bridgeland.. "This Book Club offers Americans and communities across the country a space to consider how we carry that promise forward."

To explore the toolkit, visit: https://www.monticello.org/bookclub/ 

About The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation was incorporated in 1923 to preserve Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Today, the foundation seeks to bring history forward into national and global dialogues by engaging audiences with Jefferson's world and ideas and inviting them to experience the power of place at Monticello and on its website. Monticello is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a United Nations World Heritage Site and a Site of Conscience. As a private, nonprofit organization, the foundation's regular operating budget does not receive ongoing government support to fund its twofold mission of preservation and education. For information, visit monticello.org.

About More Perfect
More Perfect is a nonpartisan alliance of 37 Presidential Centers, National Archives Foundation, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Karsh Institute for Democracy at the University of Virginia, and more than 100 organizations working together to advance five foundational Democracy Goals: 1) Universal Civic Learning; 2) Expanding National Service & Volunteering; 3) Bridging Divides & Building Trust; 4) Trusted Elections & More Representative and Responsive Governance; and 5) Access to Trusted News & Information.

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SOURCE More Perfect