Proclaiming Liberty

Proclaiming Liberty is a fast-paced intellectual history that traces how John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and their contemporaries transformed centuries of political thought into the revolutionary principles of the Declaration of Independence—and why those principles still matter today.

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.