×
Search
James Wilson Institute Awarded Prestigious NEH Chairman’s Grant for “America 250” Project
Posted on Jun 1 2026
This year, the James Wilson Institute was honored to receive a prestigious Chairman’s Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in support of JWI’s America 250 Project. This project, already underway, celebrates our namesake and his pivotal role in the American Founding as well as our Nation’s rich legal tradition.
Despite his central role at the Founding, Wilson remains one of the least widely recognized Founders. JWI endeavors to restore his rightful place in the American story while deepening public understanding of his role in expounding the ideas that shaped the nation.
“We have reached a point where Americans celebrate the Founding while forgetting the very truths that made it possible. James Wilson understood that our regime was grounded not in will or sentiment, but in moral truths that command our assent. If we recover Wilson, we recover the argument for America itself—the understanding that rights are not invented, but discovered, and that law must answer to reason. Without that, the Constitution becomes a shell, and the Declaration a slogan.”— Hadley Arkes, Founder & Co-Director, James Wilson Institute |
James Wilson's scholarship not only inspired the creation of the James Wilson Institute but also the very founding documents of our country. To celebrate James Wilson's legacy and America's 250th birthday, we would like to invite all of our supporters to join us at our programs and by following our published and broadcasted work. Our America 250 grant programs are listed below.
Major Initiatives
Public Forums in Washington, DC:
- April 24 lecture, James Wilson: The Man Who Wrote 'We the People' and Inspired the Declaration by Prof. John Mikhail (Georgetown Law).
- Fall event with Dr. Matthew Spalding (Hillsdale College) on his book The Making of the American Mind: The Story of Our Declaration of Independence, date and location to be announced.
Campus & Civic Speeches:
- JWI Managing Director & Trustee Michael Maibach to deliver six in-person educational programs at universities nationwide.
- Three speeches will be on Jefferson, Wilson, and the Wording of the Declaration. Three speeches will explore the lives and commonalities of the six signers of both the Declaration and the Constitution.
Media and Scholarship:
- Expanded coverage of Wilson's central role in the Founding on JWI's 'Natural Law Moment' podcast featuring Hadley Arkes and Gerry Bradley (30,000 projected listeners).
- At least four original essays in Anchoring Truths in 2026 devoted to Wilson's legacy.
James Wilson’s impact cannot be overstated, yet it is so often forgotten. In this 250th year since American independence, there could be no better moment to celebrate our namesake, and we are especially grateful that the NEH recognized our endeavor as worthy of its support.
Earlier this year, the James Wilson Institute hosted Professor John Mikhail for the kickoff lecture commemorating James Wilson's role the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as part of the Chairman’s Grant. Video of the lecture may be found here.
Professor Mikhail discussed the profound impact James Wilson had on the philosophy and language of the Declaration of Independence, his central role in shaping our government at the Constitutional Convention and the document's subsequent ratification, as well as Wilson's seminal theories on American law and jurisprudence. Professor Mikhail's lecture is just one of the ways the James Wilson Institute is promoting the legacy of our namesake, and we cannot think of a better way to have begun our America 250th Project with the generous help of the Chairman's Grant.
×