To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution

What does 250 years of American conflict tell us about who we are as a nation?

Join the World Affairs Council of Charlotte for a luncheon on Tuesday, September 22 with Michael O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow and Director of Research for the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, inaugural holder of the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defense and Strategy, and author of To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution.

Much of the history of U.S. defense over the course of 250 years has been a story of success. Insulated by two oceans and mostly friendly neighbors, but constantly ambitious abroad, America has dared mighty things and often achieved them, argues defense analyst Michael O’Hanlon. After growing into a continental power, largely through force of arms, during the first half of its history, it then led the way to coalition victories in two world wars, pursued peace in the Cold War, and has contributed to the most democratic period in human history. But it is a more “dangerous nation” than most citizens appreciate, given that its leaders, as well as its people, are highly self-confident and activist. O’Hanlon claims that only by understanding this “national DNA” can we hope to steer safely through the twenty-first century. He further argues that, in contrast to its consistently assertive grand strategy, there has been no single defining American “way of war” since 1775—a good thing, since what often worked for the country in the past may be of less relevance for the modern age. (Source: Yale University Press)

O’Hanlon will share his analysis of 250 years of American conflict from the Revolution through two decades of post-9/11 war to examine how the U.S. has waged war, sustained peace, and evolved as a military power in today’s world order. He’ll cover the defining questions of this moment: What does American strength look like in an era of great-power rivalry? How do shifting alliances, emerging technologies like AI, and conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, and the Indo-Pacific reshape U.S. defense strategy? And what does national security mean for a nation marking 250 years and looking toward the next?

• Private Reception Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK 
• WACC Speaker Series Sponsorship and Underwriting – DOWNLOAD LINK 

Program Information: 

Date: Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026
Check-In and Pre-Lunch Networking:  11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Lunch & Presentation:  12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Hilton Charlotte Uptown
Cost: $60 (WACC Member Rate) | $75 (Non-Member Rate) | $45 (Young Professionals of the World Affairs Council of Charlotte — YPWACC) | $35 (WACC Student Member / WACC Educator Member)