The Declaration of Independence: A Concise History - Couverture rigide

Hattem, Michael D.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0197846688 ISBN 13 : 9780197846681

Editeur : Oxford University Press Inc, 2027

Synopsis

The Declaration of Independence is among the most quoted documents in history, particularly its assertion that "all men are created equal" with the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." But where did these "self-evident" ideas come from? How have Americans and others around the world understood them? How can we understand them today? The Declaration of Independence is one of the world's most important historical documents. It has been lauded by generations of historians as "American scripture" and the "American version of the Magna Carta," but the Declaration began its life as a press release, intended to serve an immediate purpose, after which it was stored with no special care alongside the rest of the records of the Continental Congress. Its creators could not have anticipated that it would become one of the most iconic symbols of the Revolution they were waging and the nation they were building. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, however, the Declaration would begin to assume its place in the mythos and civic religion of the United States. It provided Americans with a shared political language that would shape how subsequent generations understood the Revolution and the politics of their own times. Liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness became keywords in American politics, and each generation has redefined those terms and, by extension, the Declaration. In this book, historian Michael D. Hattem offers a fresh history of the Declaration of Independence. He moves beyond how it was written and approved by Congress to tell a story that spans a quarter of a millennium and features a cast of countless individuals and groups from around the world who dared to realize the Declaration's ideals more fully than the revolutionary generation could ever have imagined. He shows how the Declaration has reflected many of the inherent contradictions at the heart of the American experiment and has been used equally by liberal and conservative political movements to achieve their different political aims. The result is a compelling story of the Declaration's origins and the creation of its legacy over the past two hundred and fifty years.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Michael D. Hattem is a historian of the American Revolution and historical memory. He is the author of The Memory of '76: The Revolution in American History, which was a finalist for the 2025 George Washington Prize, and Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution. He is currently the Associate Director of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Oxford University Press Inc
• Date d'édition: 2027
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0197846688
• ISBN 13: 9780197846681
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 144
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: Ufficio Anagrafiche Messaggerie; ufficio.anagrafiche@meli.it; ; Via Verdi, 8; Assago Milano; 20090; Italie