Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality

Allen (Sch. of Social Science, Inst. for Advanced Study; coeditor, Education, Justice, and Democracy) parses the Declaration of Independence, finding meaning in every phrase, every word, even every punctuation mark. Her book is a thought-provoking extended essay that claims the equality and freedom described therein (as contrasted with simple "liberty" or "independence") as the birthright of every American. Allen, a biracial woman herself, recognizes the contradictions surrounding the Declaration, which was written, after all, in the 18th century by white men, many of whom owned slaves. Yet despite these "shadows" on the document, she sees it as a timeless argument for equality, freedom, and the right to self-government. She even claims that it is a memo written to the world and for posterity—a message that all people are equal, that society should promote the happiness of its citizens, and that the people have the right, even the duty, to overturn tyrannies.