The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

America’s bestselling biographer reveals the origins of the most revolutionary sentence in the Declaration of Independence, the one that defines who we are as Americans—and explains how it should shape our politics today.

To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history’s most powerful sentences: “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.”

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation.

Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. Readers will gain a fresh appreciation for how it was drafted to inspire unity, equality, and the enduring promise of America. With clarity and insight, he reveals not just the power of these words but describes how, in these polarized times, we can use them to restore an appreciation for our common values.

About the author

Walter Isaacson

Product details

• Authors: Walter Isaacson, Isaacson Walter
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 15.01.2026
• EAN: 9781982181314
• ISBN: 978-1-982181-31-4
• No. of pages: 80
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Democracy, HISTORY / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775), HISTORY / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800), Colonialism & imperialism, Political structures: democracy, Revolutions, uprisings, rebellions, United States of America, USA, Colonialism and imperialism, History of the Americas, American War of Independence, National liberation and independence, c 1765 to 1783 (American Revolutionary period)