News Summary

• The year 1776 is now remembered for three revolutions that, together, set the modern world in motion.
• Adam Smith laid the foundation for a systematized discipline that would become the organizing logic of modern society.
• The Declaration of Independence led to the founding of the United States of America and elevated democracy as the political ideal of the modern age.
• The Industrial Revolution was beginning to displace manual labor with machines like James Watt’s steam engine, propelling humanity toward greater abundance through the power of technology.