Civic Story Hour With U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch and Janie Nitze

Join us for a special family Civic Story Hour featuring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, honorary co-chair of the National Constitution Center. Justice Gorsuch and his co-author and former law clerk Janie Nitze return for a conversation and book signing celebrating their new children’s book, Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence (HarperCollins; May 5, 2026). During the program, they will read selections from the book and join in conversation with Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center. Designed for families and learners of all ages, this program invites audiences into the human stories behind the Declaration of Independence. Through storytelling and dialogue, the program will explore how individuals across the colonies grappled with the meaning of liberty, independence, and self-government. This Civic Story Hour offers a welcoming space for families to engage with these ideas together, ask questions, and reflect on how the founding principles continue to shape our lives today. Heroes of 1776 introduces readers to both familiar figures such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere, as well as lesser-known participants in the American story, including Caesar Rodney, Thomas Paine, and Mary Katharine Goddard. Together, their stories highlight the risks, choices, and debates that shaped the nation’s founding. Blending vivid storytelling with historical detail, the book centers the lived experiences behind the founding era and invites young readers to consider the enduring ideals of the Declaration.