Plaza Cam

Join these five-week online class on Tuesdays as we explore that the story of America is a story of a centuries-long collision between high ideals and grim reality.The words of the Declaration of Independence conflicted with the darkness of slavery. The terror of Jim Crow conflicted with the promises of the Civil War Amendments. This course will examine the philosophies that shaped the two foundings — one born out of revolution, the other out of civil war — and how those philosophies continue to call us to a higher and better version of ourselves today.

David French is an opinion columnist for The New York Times, where he writes about law, culture, religion, and armed conflict. He was previously a senior editor at The Dispatch, a contributing writer at The Atlantic, a columnist at Time and a senior writer at National Review. A frequent on stage at Chautauqua, he currently serves along with Melody Barnes as the Institution’s inaugural Perry Fellows in Democracy.

French is a former constitutional litigator, past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and a New York Times bestselling author. His most recent book is Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation, in which he warns of the potential dangers to the country — and the world — if we don’t summon the courage to reconcile our political differences.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, French is a former major in the United States Army Reserve and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.