The One-Hour Declaration Challenge
Take the One-Hour
Declaration Challenge
One Hour. One Conversation. A Lifetime of Reflection.
Gather family, friends, students, colleagues, neighbors, or members of your community to discuss the Declaration of Independence's foundational principles. Join Americans across the country in engaging the ideas that continue to shape a free society.
Read. Discuss. Reflect.
Why the Challenge
An invitation for America's 250th anniversary.
As America marks its 250th anniversary, the Free Society Coalition invites individuals, families, classrooms, and communities to engage the enduring principles of the Declaration of Independence.
The Declaration helped shape the American experiment in self-government and has influenced the cause of liberty around the world. While anniversaries are an occasion to celebrate, they are also an opportunity to reflect.
The One-Hour Declaration Challenge is a simple invitation to spend one hour reading, discussing, and reflecting, beginning a lifelong journey of learning about the ideas that continue to shape a free society.
How It Works
Three simple steps.
Step 1
Read
Read the Declaration's most famous sentence together.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Step 2
Discuss
Discuss what it means, why it matters, and what it requires of us as citizens. No scripts. No partisan litmus tests. No pressure to reach agreement, simply an invitation to thoughtful civil discourse.
Step 3
Reflect
Listen respectfully, ask thoughtful questions, and consider different perspectives, recognizing that meaningful reflection continues long after the hour is complete.
Questions to Consider
Prompts for your conversation.
- What does it mean to say these truths are self-evident?
- What does it mean that all people are created equal?
- What are unalienable rights?
- What responsibilities accompany those rights?
Resources
Everything you need to get started.
The One-Hour Declaration Challenge is intentionally simple. Everything you need to get started is provided on this page. To support continued learning and reflection, the Free Society Coalition will continue expanding its collection of resources throughout the America250 commemoration.
Available Today
Coming Soon
- Facilitator materials
- Additional discussion resources
- Classroom and community tools
Check back as new resources are released throughout the coming months.
Share Your Reflection
Completed the challenge?
Share your reflections, discussion notes, photos, or takeaways with the Free Society Coalition. Your experience will help us learn from participants across the country and encourage others to join the conversation.
Share Your Reflection
Completed the One-Hour Declaration Challenge? Share your reflections, takeaways, or discussion notes with the Coalition. Submissions will help us learn from your experience and inspire others to take part.
Learn More
Go deeper.
Additional long-form essays and updates will be linked here as they are published.
The One-Hour Declaration Challenge is an ongoing initiative of the Free Society Coalition as part of the America250 commemoration. New resources, discussion materials, and opportunities to participate will continue to be added throughout the coming months, supporting a lifetime of learning and reflection.