07/17/2026
Join us for an immersive afternoon of history, cinema, and world-class academic insight. This unique multimedia program pairs high-production documentary footage with expert analysis to explore the people, events, and radical ideas that shaped the founding of the United States.
From the silent sacrifices of unsung heroes to the fierce intellectual debates that built our constitutional framework, this forum brings the revolutionary era out of the textbooks and onto the stage. The program will conclude with a live, joint audience Q&A with our featured scholars.
Meet the Scholars
Dr. John Compton (Chapman University)
Dr. John Compton is a Professor of Political Science at Chapman University, specializing in constitutional law, American political development, and the historic intersection of religion and politics. He earned his Ph.D. from UCLA and is the award-winning author of The Evangelical Origins of the Living Constitution (Harvard University Press)—winner of the Cromwell Book Prize for legal history—and The End of Empathy: Why White Protestants Stopped Loving Their Neighbors (Oxford University Press). His work offers a fascinating look at how religious and philosophical movements have shaped American democracy from its inception.
Dr. Rob Robinson (Cal State Fullerton)
Dr. Rob Robinson is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the Division of Politics, Administration, and Justice at California State University, Fullerton. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Robinson’s research investigates how cultural ideas, political polarization, and the legal development of the Supreme Court shape public policy and national identity. An expert in constitutional law and the presidency, his scholarship has appeared in leading journals such as the Law & Society Review and the Policy Studies Journal.
