Mm-hmm.

This country was founded on the proposition that all men are created equal.

So we have three different ways of thinking about the notion of equality here.

It's either a foundational principle, or it's a descriptive condition, or it's a proposition, which to me has the connotation of something a little bit hypothetical or aspirational rather than absolutely hard foundational.

Ninety-two years after the declaration, 1868, as you referenced, the 14th Amendment passes, and it incorporates the following language, that "no state can deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Here the equality principle gets instantiated in law, the highest law of the land, the Constitution.

So you might say here's the fourth notion about the notion of equal-- or interpretation of the notion of equality.

It's both a foundational principle, it's a observed condition, it's an aspiration, and now it's an instrument that can be used operationally to move things politically and socially.

Absolutely.

Oh, okay, good.

Well, let me give you a little bit of background about the series.

Yeah, yeah.

The series is called The Oxford History of the United States.

As I think I mentioned earlier, there are 10 volumes in print.

There are two to come.

One is actually under active construction right now as we speak, one yet to be fully commissioned.

Do you want to go first or do you want me to go? Well,