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The Cambridge Companion to the Declaration of Independence offers a wide-ranging and accessible anthology of essays for understanding the Declaration's intellectual and social context, connection to the American Revolution, and influence in the United States and throughout the world. The volume places the document in the context of ideas during the Enlightenment and examines the language and structure to assess its effect and appeal throughout the centuries and across countries. Here are contributions from law, history, and political science, considering such matters as the philosophical foundations of the Declaration, the role of religion, critics of its role in American political development, and whether 'Jefferson's handiwork' is still relevant in the twenty-first century. Written by distinguished and emerging scholars, the Companion provides new and diverse perspectives on the most important statement of American political commitments.
List of contents
Introduction Michael Zuckert; 1. European antecedents to the Declaration of Independence S. Adam Seagrave; 2. The twenty-six grievances Woody Holton; 3. The process of writing and procedures for adopting the Declaration Peter Charles Hoffer and Williamjames Hoffer; 4. The Declaration as political rhetoric Matthew Crow; 5. Equality, liberty, and rights in the Declaration of Independence Michael Zuckert; 6. The 'stubborn' Declaration: less dissent than alienation in black political thought and the Declaration of Independence Saladin Ambar; 7. 'Popular sovereignty' and the Declaration of Independence Sanford Levinson; 8. Slavery and the Declaration: a re-interpretation Richard Newman; 9. A theological interpretation of the Declaration of Independence Barbara A. McGraw; 10. The Declaration versus the Constitution Tom Cutterham; 11. Getting 'the hang of the Declaration': The Declaration in American nationalism Brian Steele; 12. Native nations and Declarations of Independence Jonathan Todd Hancock; 13. The Declaration in anti-slavery and African Americans thought Thomas J. Davis; 14. The Declaration of Independence and women Leslie F. Goldstein; 15. Aspirational reliance of the Declaration of Independence: labor and woman's suffrage Alexander Tsesis; 16. Presidents and the Declaration of Independence Mark A. Graber; Conclusion - four children, sixteen essays, and the Declaration of Independence Mark A. Graber.
