In honor of Independence Day I wanted to select a book that describes the history surrounding the Declaration of Independence. When I saw the title of this book I thought it would be a good book to start my July study on the Declaration of Independence.
Maier begins her book by describing the preservation efforts at maintaining the Declaration of Independence. Then she notes “The original signed texts of the Declaration of Independence and to a lesser extent the Constitution have become for the United States what Lenin’s body was for the Soviet Union a tangible remnant of the revolution to which its children can still cling.”
Throughout the book Maier downplays the significance of the Declaration of Independence noting that there were 90 such declarations at state or local levels from the spring of 1776 through July 1776. This was foreshadowed in her introduction where she noted:
“I dismissed the suggestion that I write a modern history of the Declaration of Independence. There’s already too much written on the subject I remember saying and I have no particular interest in adding to the pile. I also thought that the document had been hyped out of all proportion to what was justified and that more attention would only exacerbate the problem.”
Maier notes that her book “tells two different but related stories - that of the original making of the Declaration of Independence and that of its remaking into the document most Americans know, remember, and revere.”
After finishing this book I was left with the impression that Maier viewed the Declaration of Independence as a run of the mill document created in the normal course of business for a congressional body. It was not unique because it was based off of other historical documents. Jefferson was not the sole author but the congress as a whole. Jefferson and Adams were just ordinary people who happened to live in a time where they could achieve a greatness that otherwise they were undeserving. The Declaration of Independence has only gained notoriety to win political support, with Abraham Lincoln being one of the most successful politicians to do so.
Maier writes a well researched book that contains a wealth of information but I don’t agree with her conclusions. Overall I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars.
“What about Roxane?” Alexander asked.
“Your prisoner bride?”
“Such disrespect is worthy of death!”
“There is no possible way that you could love her or that she could truly love you.”
“What gives you the insight to speak so assertively about matters you know nothing about?”
“Daughter of Oxyarthes, the man who surrendered the Iron Gates to you, makes for a very political marriage.”
“Continue,” said Alexander.
“At a feast celebrating your latest victory a number of young women were brought in for entertainment. You spotted one of them whose beauty far surpassed the others and you decided on the spot to marry her once you learned she was the daughter of Oxyarthes. You needed to cement a strong relationship with the local leaders. What better way to do this than through marriage? You didn’t share a common language and never even spoke to each other beforehand. She never was given a choice. So she is your prisoner bride.”
“You have a vague outline of the past. I suppose it is remarkable that you have as much ...
