Abstract

Gerber (law, Ohio Northern U.) presents primary documents and 12 essays exploring the origins and impacts of the American Declaration of Independence. The political theory and text of the Declaration are explored through examinations of its impact on the constitution as well as explorations of how Abraham Lincoln and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas have used its language in addressing issues of public policy. The influence of the Declaration on the political architecture and institutions of the United States is explore in discussions of the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution of 1787, the Bill of Rights, and the constitutions of states. African American's experiences with the Declaration, as evidenced by speeches by Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X, is discussed in a section that also looks at its reception by the women's rights movement and by people abroad. The documents in the appendix are included to shed light on the arguments of the chapters. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR.