July 4, 1776: A 250th Anniversary Appreciation
Daniel Klein examines key passages of the Declaration of Independence and suggests that “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” expresses the spirit of the American Founding period.
George Mason University Professor Daniel Klein mixes historical interpretation and political theory in this appreciation of July 4, 1776. He examines key passages of the Declaration of Independence and suggests that “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” expresses the spirit of the American Founding period. He relates 1776 to the Constitutional period of 1787–89. Drawing on Bernard Bailyn, he remarks on John Locke, Cato’s Letters, David Hume, Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, John Adams, Samuel Adams, George Mason, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, and others. His conclusion: There is scant substitute for wisdom and virtue in our rulers.