Summary: Gordon S. Wood, Brown University Professor of History and Chair of the National Constitution Center’s Distinguished Scholars Advisory Panel, discusses the Founders’ attitudes and beliefs about aristocracy in America, where “titles of nobility” are prohibited by the Constitution, but where aristocratic elements of privilege and power nevertheless have survived. The men who espoused the radical idea that all are created equal shared the tradition of British aristocracy, and Wood examines how their beliefs differed from or mirrored those held in England, which beliefs have lingered, and what their effects have been. Program recorded on 12/07/09. Questions or comments? Write: programs@constitutioncenter.org
