This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the beginning of armed revolution against the English crown, and an internal struggle between reformers and reactionaries which would ultimately lead the United States further down the path of imperialism, land theft, and elite domination.
Today, the U.S. government is using the 250th anniversary as an opportunity to peddle propaganda in service of nationalistic fascism. As a law firm which has been educating communities about the truth of U.S. “freedom” for thirty years, we’re here to set the record straight.
Welcome to CELDF’s America 250: A Revolutionary Perspective. In this episode, we speak with historian and author Tad Stoermer.
Tad is author of the just-released book “A Resistance History of the United States.” He joined CELDF’s Education Director Ben Price and Consulting Director Tish O’Dell in a conversation about what resistance is and needs to be in this 21st century revolutionary moment.
We discuss how the American system of government isn’t broken, but rather its been fixed to work as it does from the beginning. We talk honestly about how protest does not equal resistance, and how institutional mechanisms and cultural forces routinely interrupt real resistance before it gets started.
We talk about the importance of debunking nationalist mythology about the nation’s founding. We asked Tad Stoermer “What exactly did Americans gain by waging a war against British oppression, and was it really a revolution?” You may be surprised by Tad’s answer.
For folks who are intrigued by CELDF’s America 250 series, Tad Stoermer is the public historian for you. He is the author of A Resistance History of the United States, just released on June 2, 2026, and A Public History of the American Revolution, scheduled for publication in 2027.
Tad is one of the most widely followed public historians in the world, reaching millions each month with his YouTube Resistance History Updates, Morning Reports, Constitutional Myths, Public History Practice, America 250 and Resistance History playlists, to name a few.
Links and Resources
Tad on YouTube: Is Violence Part of Resistance?: No River, No Flood
To buy Tad’s book, visit Penguin Random House online or contact your favorite independent bookseller.
About the Truth and Reckoning Podcast
If you’re new here, this is Truth and Reckoning, a newsletter from the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF). We are organizers, lawyers, and revolutionaries who educate and agitate to confront systemic injustice and restore humanity’s relationship with the Earth.
For more than 30 years, we’ve helped communities resist corporate power, reject regulatory false promises, and assert their right to self-governance grounded in ecological balance.
In this show, we learn from front-line organizers and communities fighting against environmental destruction. We explore different perspectives and innovative strategies for movement building, the potency and potential of rights of nature, and effective action in defense of our communities. And, we share inspiring stories of people working towards right relationship with the land and each other. The show is hosted by CELDF Community Resistance and Resilience Program Co-Director Max Wilbert.
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About CELDF — Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund
CELDF is a nationwide community of organizers, lawyers, and partners who educate, agitate, and organize to confront systemic injustice and restore humanity’s reciprocal relationship with the Earth. For over 30 years, we’ve helped communities resist corporate exploitation, reject regulatory false promises, and assert their right to self-govern through systems grounded in ecological balance and collective power.
Curious to know more?
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