
The Course of Human Events
The Declaration of Independence and the Historical Origins of the United States
Steven Sarson(Author)
University of Virginia Press
Published on 30. November 2025
Book
Hardback
276 pages
978-0-8139-5396-0 (ISBN)
Description
How reading the Declaration of Independence as a document of history explains its intended meaning
Thomas Jefferson chose his words carefully. Few could have been more deliberate than 'When in the Course of human events,' the phrase with which he opened the Declaration of Independence. As Steven Sarson shows, the original Declaration moved through the ages of human history from Creation to American independence, assessing it according to 'the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God.'
The Declaration's history and historical consciousness therefore help answer one of American history's great questions: How did the founders reconcile their lofty views on equality and liberty with the inequities and iniquities that they maintained in their time? The contingencies of history and the complexities of natural law, Sarson demonstrates, meant that the Declaration's eloquent promises of equality and liberty only applied partially to women and poor men, and not at all to Loyalists, Indigenous Americans, and enslaved people.
The Declaration's assertion that 'all men are created equal' has since become a promise of universal equality and liberty. As we reach its 250th anniversary, it is important to understand its original context as well as to continue the mission of making its promises a lived reality for all.
Thomas Jefferson chose his words carefully. Few could have been more deliberate than 'When in the Course of human events,' the phrase with which he opened the Declaration of Independence. As Steven Sarson shows, the original Declaration moved through the ages of human history from Creation to American independence, assessing it according to 'the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God.'
The Declaration's history and historical consciousness therefore help answer one of American history's great questions: How did the founders reconcile their lofty views on equality and liberty with the inequities and iniquities that they maintained in their time? The contingencies of history and the complexities of natural law, Sarson demonstrates, meant that the Declaration's eloquent promises of equality and liberty only applied partially to women and poor men, and not at all to Loyalists, Indigenous Americans, and enslaved people.
The Declaration's assertion that 'all men are created equal' has since become a promise of universal equality and liberty. As we reach its 250th anniversary, it is important to understand its original context as well as to continue the mission of making its promises a lived reality for all.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Charlottesville
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
622 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8139-5396-0 (9780813953960)
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Schweitzer Classification
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Additional editions

Steven Sarson
The Course of Human Events
The Declaration of Independence and the Historical Origins of the United States
E-Book
11/2025
Naval Institute Press
€34.49
Available for download
Person
Steven Sarson is Professor of American Civilization at Jean Moulin University Lyon 3.