How three men of Europe shaped America’s founding -- and its laws, science and conscience. Laura Auricchio, author of “The Marquis: Lafayette Reconsidered,” explains why Lafayette’s bronze statue stands high in Baltimore's Mount Vernon Place and in other American cities and towns; John Bessler, author of “The Birth of American Law: An Italian Philosopher and the American Revolution,” explains Cesare Beccaria’s influence on the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution; and Steven Gimbel joins Midday to talk about his book, “Einstein: His Space and Time,” and the famed scientists’ influence on American politics and civil rights. Original air date: 02/27/15.
Great Influences: Lafayette, Beccaria, and Einstein
