The Institute for Justice’s Center for Judicial Engagement and the Liberty and Law Center at Antonin Scalia Law School are pleased to announce a conference: “The Other Declarations of 1776.”
While 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it also marks the anniversary of various new states issuing declarations of rights in conjunction with their new state constitutions. The conference will feature research, discussion, and debate that explores the history and ramifications of those “other” declarations of 1776. The day-long conference will be held on Friday, April 10, 2026 at Antonin Scalia Law School in Arlington, Virginia.
The conference will consist of several sessions. This will include Dr. Nicholas Cole—of Oxford University’s Pembroke College and director of its Quill Project—as our keynote speaker. Dr. Cole will provide an overview of the “Other Declarations” and their legacy. The rest of the conference’s sessions will include a mix of scholars discussing papers they have written for the event and others invited to participate. We also hope to include space for a nontraditional session—such as a mock trial or argument—that brings the history and impact of the “Other Declarations” to life. The individual session topics will be chosen as papers are selected and we move closer to the conference. We will work to give all the “Other Declarations” of 1776 their due, including those of Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, and others.
Conference Speakers
Senior Research Fellow at Pembroke College, University of Oxford and Director of the Quill Project