Proclaiming Liberty: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Declaration of Independence
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As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Proclaiming Liberty revisits the revolutionary year of 1776 through the minds of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two men whose words and ideas gave birth to modern liberty. Timothy Sandefur’s engaging narrative brings to life the “American mind” as those extraordinary Founders sought to express it—their arguments, ideals, and enduring beliefs in natural rights and self-government.
Sweeping from the English Civil War and the writings of Locke and Montesquieu to the colonial battles over the Stamp and Townshend Acts and the battlefields of Massachusetts and Virginia, Sandefur’s fast-paced narrative shows how the Declaration distilled centuries of debate about freedom, law, and human nature into one of history’s most enduring statements on justice. Blending biography, political thought, and legal history—from Sir Edward Coke and Edmund Burke to Tacitus and Frederick Douglass—Proclaiming Liberty traces the Declaration’s legacy through the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and the modern age, documenting how its principles have continued to challenge tyranny, refute relativism, and inspire movements for justice.
As America marks a quarter millennium of independence, Proclaiming Liberty reminds us that the promise of 1776 remains both timeless and urgent and that freedom is not a historical accident but the birthright of every human being. The Declaration provided the means to ensure that all people can enjoy their inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. On his deathbed, John Adams offered a toast: “Independence forever!” Proclaiming Liberty shows why those are words all Americans should live by.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Timothy Sandefur is Vice President for Legal Affairs at the Goldwater Institute, where he also holds the Duncan Chair for Constitutional Government. He has won important legal victories for free enterprise and property rights in Arizona, California, Kentucky, Missouri, Oregon, and other states. He is the author of ten books, including Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man (2018), Freedom's Furies (2022), You Don't Own Me (2026), and Proclaiming Liberty: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Declaration of Independence (2026), as well as scores of scholarly articles on subjects ranging from eminent domain and economic liberty to copyright, evolution and creationism, slavery and the Civil War, and the political philosophy of Shakespeare, ancient Greek drama, and Star Trek. He is an Adjunct Scholar with the Cato Institute, and his articles have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, National Review, The Weekly Standard, Reason, The Objective Standard, and elsewhere. He is a frequent guest on radio and television programs, including John Stossel, Kennedy, The Armstrong and Getty Show, and CPSAN's Book TV.