“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” These fundamental truths shape American identity. Ted Widmer explores their origins and impact in The Living Declaration: A Biography of America’s Founding Text¸ and joins us to talk about the Declaration as it was written, and how it has impacted Americans and the world  since 1776. Drawing on speeches and writings from the long span of history—John Locke, the Natick Town Meeting, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, the Seneca Falls movement, Huey Long, Calvin Coolidge, H.L. Mencken, Emma Goldman, the Black Panther Party, the Tea Party, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, and others—we
discuss the enduring importance of the Declaration of Independence.

https://www.loa.org/books/the-living-declaration-a-biography-of-americas-founding-text/

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