# A Radical Experiment in Liberty: A conversation with Brad Birzer **URL:** **By** Bradley J. Birzer, Jonathan Fortier **Published:** July 3, 2026 --- Brad Birzer’s new book explores the ideas and events that led Americans to independence in 1776. Jonathan Fortier talks with Brad Birzer about his recent book, _The Declaration of Independence: A Radical Experiment in Liberty_. Drawing heavily on the letters, pamphlets, and political arguments of the era, Birzer’s book traces how a series of imperial crises gradually transformed colonial resistance into a revolutionary movement. Along the way, it reveals how debates about liberty, authority, and the rights of Englishmen shaped the political consciousness of the American colonies.