The History Wars and America at 250, with the Historian Jill Lepore

In this special episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour, historian Jill Lepore explores the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence amid a national reckoning over America’s past. Drawing on archival footage from the 1976 bicentennial, Lepore reveals that even then, Americans were deeply ambivalent about celebrating their nation’s founding—questioning its meaning, confronting its contradictions, and expressing anxiety about decline. She contrasts that with today’s 'history wars,' where political forces attempt to sanitize or weaponize the past, exemplified by the Trump-era America 250 Commission’s controversial film that glorified Manifest Destiny and erased Indigenous presence. Lepore argues that history should not be a battleground but a living conversation, one that requires historians to engage with the public, especially educators, to foster shared understanding. In a conversation with Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb, she emphasizes the importance of local civic engagement—like community potlucks and classroom projects—as alternatives to top-down national narratives. The episode ultimately calls for a more inclusive, honest, and participatory approach to national memory.