What We Do

Illuminating Contemporary Thought with Brownson’s Legacy

Discover curated materials that deepen appreciation for Orestes Brownson’s enduring impact.

Orestes Brownson Essay Contest

We have assumed the Orestes Brownson Essay Contest previously conducted by American Family Project. In its first year, 15 essays were submitted from 88 expressions of intent. For 2026, our goal is 200 expressions of intent and 50 essays submitted.

Annual Brownson Conference

Join us on April 16, 2026 for our annual Orestes Brownson Conference at The Catholic University of America. The theme this year is “Orestes Brownson and the Mission of America.”

YouTube Channel and Substack

Watch videos of our past conferences (or download the audio files) on the Foundation’s YouTube channel.

Keep up with us on our substack: Brownson’s Occasional Blog.

Brownson Resources for Research

We will be populating this section with writings, articles, and videos illuminating Orestes Brownson’s enduring influence and thought.

Texts and Writings

A collection of works and essays by Orestes Brownson that form the foundation of his philosophical and political legacy. We will put these documents into a searchable database.

Articles About Brownson

Expert analyses and interpretations that contextualize Brownson’s ideas within nineteenth-century and modern debates. This section will also contain videos of conferences we have sponsored.

Bibliography

A list (with hyperlinks when possible) of the publications about Brownson and his thought: books, PhD theses, journal articles, the works! We are just beginning to collect this material.