EBOOK For Liberty and Equality:The Life and Times of the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most influential documents in modern        history-the inspiration for what would become the most powerful democracy in the        world. Indeed, at every stage of American history, the Declaration has been a        touchstone for evaluating the legitimacy of legal, social, and political practices.          Not only have civil rights activists drawn inspiration from its proclamation of        inalienable rights, but individuals decrying a wide variety of governmental abuses        have turned for support to the document's enumeration of British tyranny.In this        sweeping synthesis of the Declaration's impact on American life, ranging from 1776        to the present, Alexander Tsesis offers a deeply researched narrative that        highlights the many surprising ways in which this document has influenced American        politics, law, and society. The drafting of the Bill of Rights, the Reconstruction        Amendments, the New Deal, the Civil Rights movement-all are heavily indebted to the        Declaration's principles of representative government. Tsesis demonstrates that from        the founding on, the Declaration has played a central role in American political and        social advocacy, congressional debates, and presidential decisions. He focuses on        how successive generations internalized, adapted, and interpreted its meaning, but        he also shines a light on the many American failures to live up to the ideals        enshrined in the document.Based on extensive research from primary sources such as        newspapers, diaries, letters, transcripts of speeches, and congressional records,        For Liberty and Equality shows how our founding document shaped America through        successive eras, and why its influence has always been crucial to the nation and our        way of life.