You are cordially invited to attend an IN-PERSON lecture event and reception, held in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence:
Defending The Glorious Cause: The Foreign Policy of the Founding Fathers
Speakers
Mike Watson
Date/Time
Wednesday, July 1st, 2026
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM EDT
Location
The Institute of World Politics
1521 16th St NW, Washington D.C., 20036
Getting to campus
A reception will follow the lecture accompanied by complimentary hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.
This lecture is sponsored by the Jack Miller Center.
About the Lecture
Americans are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding this year. Since that time, the country has grown from 13 colonies nestled along the Atlantic seaboard into a superpower and the center of the international order. Mike Watson, the executive director of the Alexander Hamilton Society, will discuss how international affairs affected the nature of the United States, how the founding fathers set the country on the pathway to success, and how statesmen and policymakers can benefit from their example today.
Light pre-reception refreshments (coffee, cookies, and small bites) will be available during guest arrival prior to the lecture.
About the Speaker
Mike Watson is the Executive Director of the Alexander Hamilton Society. Prior to joining AHS, he worked at Hudson Institute as a fellow and deputy director of the Center for Strategy and American Statecraft. Earlier in his career, Mike served as Charles Krauthammer’s research assistant. He is also a columnist at the Washington Free Beacon. Mike received his B.A. from the University of Virginia and holds a master’s degree from George Washington University.
Watson’s talk will focus on the biggest foreign policy dilemmas faced by America’s founders. It will show how geopolitics affected the Declaration of Independence and Americans are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding this year. Since that time, the country has grown from 13 colonies nestled along the Atlantic seaboard into a superpower and the center of the international order. Mike Watson, the executive director of the Alexander Hamilton Society, will discuss how international affairs affected the nature of the United States, how the founding fathers set the country on the pathway to success, and how statesmen and policymakers can benefit from their example today.the Model Treaty drafted by the Continental Congress; how foreign affairs directly impacted the drafting and ratification of the Constitution; how the French Revolution forced Americans to reevaluate their own revolution; and how the United States reacted to the Latin American revolutions and the threat of great-power competition in the Western Hemisphere.
Parts of Mike’s talk will reflect a recent article he wrote for special journal edition that AHS published, “1776: The Beginnings of American Exceptionalism.”
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