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 It was not unique because it was based off of other historical documents.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.
Thomas Aquinas is credited as one of the greatest proponents of natural law. During his time in Cologne he was taught by Albertus Magnus. Magnus used the teachings of Aristotle in his mentorship of Thomas Aquinas.
Samuel Adams believed in American Independence from Great Britain. He is one of the most well know Son's of Liberty. On August 1, 1776 he gave a speech to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
Hefei, China Thursday 6:00AM
The rising sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon. The darkness of night was about to give way to the light of day. The sleeping city would soon be bustling with activity completely unaware of what had occurred while it slept.
Zhao Kai stood outside a small warehouse looking building. For all of the modernization that had been occurring in China this building had been skipped. At least on the outside. It appeared old and nearly abandoned but the inside told a different story. Before Kai entered the building he glanced at the rising sun. This was his favorite moment of the day. The blinding light of the sun was a weapon that he used literally.
On numerous occasions he would take a prisoner to a spot where there was an unobstructed view of the rising sun. Then he would bind them in such a way that they had to stare directly into the sun. If he did his job right they would not be able to close their eyes and would return to their prison cells blinded for life. If he didn’t just kill them. That punishment would not be on the table today but perhaps tomorrow. He liked ...
