Kim Phillips-Fein — Country of Lords: Neo-Aristocrats, Social Darwinists, Tech Utopians, and the Long Fight against Equality in America - with Timothy Shenk — at the Wharf

Kim Phillips-Fein, a Pulitzer-finalist historian, explores a 250-year-old intellectual and political tradition that has defended social hierarchies and inequality in America, from social Darwinists to modern tech utopians. Drawing on forgotten characters and neglected archives, her book *Country of Lords* examines figures such as John Adams, William Graham Sumner, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and Peter Thiel, who have argued that the Declaration of Independence’s claim that “all men are created equal” is a myth. Phillips-Fein will be in conversation with Timothy Shenk, a historian of modern American politics at George Washington University and author of *Left Adrift* and *Realigners*. This event is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-seated basis.

When: Friday, July 24, 2026, at 7:00 PM.

Showtimes: The event begins at 7:00 PM; no additional showtimes are listed.

Tickets: Free admission, with first-come, first-served seating. No advance ticket or price is required.

Lineup: Kim Phillips-Fein (author) in conversation with Timothy Shenk (moderator).

Run time: Not specified.

Ages: Not specified.

Venue: Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 610 Water St SW, Washington, DC 20024.

Note: To request accessibility accommodations, email events@politics-prose.com ideally one week before the event; the venue will make an effort to accommodate all requests up until the event time.