Commemorate our 250th anniversary by exploring the founding principles of the United States… and how we live up to them!
This four-part discussion series will revolve around the book These Truths: A History of the U.S. Constitution by Jill Lepore. Each session will be on a different theme (The Idea, The People, The State, The Machine) linked to readings from sections of the book.
Lepore’s expansive study of the nation in one volume allows us to follow a single narrative that touches on all the essential issues and periods of American history.
Sessions will be facilitated by Dr. Andrew Darien, Associate Dean for the College of Arts & Sciences at Salem State University. Dr. Darien has taught as a history professor since 2004, specializing in modern U.S. History. When possible, he will invite guest experts to participate in the discussion sessions.
The Athenaeum has compiled a list of additional recommended readings on American history and ideals to supplement the series. These books are tagged in the Athenaeum’s Library Thing catalog under the heading “Citizen Bookshelf,” which can be accessed here. Some of these are displayed in the reading room in the area marked with a Citizen Bookshelf. Send us your suggestions for the list.
Has America lived up to its founding “truths”? Let’s read and find out together!
Part I — The Idea (1492–1799)
April 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Chapters 1–4:
1. The Nature of the Past (pp. 3–30)
2. The Rulers and the Ruled (pp. 31–71)
3. Of Wars and Revolutions (pp. 72–108)
4. The Constitution of a Nation (pp. 109–152)
This section traces the origins of American civic identity, showing how political equality, natural rights, and popular sovereignty emerged amid colonization, slavery, and revolution. Readers learn how debates over governance and rights shaped foundational institutions and citizenship itself — critical context for thoughtful citizens today.
Attend any or all sessions!
April 23, June 11, September 23, and December 3
All discussion sessions start at 7:00 p.m.
View the reading schedule here!
Andrew Darien is Associate Dean for the College of Arts & Sciences at Salem State University, where he has taught as a history professor since 2004. He specializes in modern United States history and oral history. He is the author of Becoming New York’s Finest: Race, Gender and the Integration of the NYPD, 1935-1980, and Building the Sacred and the Progressive: A History of Temple Sinai in Brookline. He has been the project director for Student, Citizen, and Soldier, which has recorded and shared dozens of interviews with college veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He most recently completed an oral history project to document the queer history of Lynn through a series of gay and lesbian bars going back to the early 20th century. The American Association of State and Local History awarded Darien and United Lynn Pride the Corey Award for the best grassroots public history project in 2025.
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