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American Scripture : Making the Declaration of Independence by Pauline Maier (1997, Hardcover)
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN-100679454926
ISBN-139780679454922
eBay Product ID (ePID)605545
Product Key Features
Book TitleAmerican Scripture : Making the Declaration of Independence
Number of Pages352 Pages
LanguageEnglish
TopicUnited States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800), United States / General
Publication Year1997
GenreHistory
AuthorPauline Maier
FormatHardcover
Dimensions
Item Height1.3 in
Item Weight23.1 Oz
Item Length9.6 in
Item Width6.6 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
LCCN97-002769
Reviews"Splendid. Maier skillfully traces the progress of the Declaration from political event to sacred text."--Washington Post "Sharp and engaging...A meticulous exhumation of American history that is full of fascinating details and scintillating insights."--San Francisco Chronicle "Gary Wills, stand aside. Pauline Maier has given us the freshest, best-informed historian's reading of the Declaration of Independence and its context that we have ever had. American Scripture enables us to see just how this sacred text was created, and the ways in which it was unique. It is a remarkable achievement!" -- Richard D. Brown, University of Connecticut "Pauline Maier renders unto Jefferson that which is Jefferson's, but she tells a much larger story. She shows what made the Declaration possible and necessary, considers its lineage, probes its genesis in a time of extreme turmoil, and reflects on its continuing living meaning, achieving all of this in very elegant prose." -- Edward Countryman, Southern Methodist University "Quite simply the fairest, fullest, and finest account ever written of how the Declaration of Independence happened." -- Joseph J. Ellis, Mount Holyoke College "Until I read Pauline Maier's remarkable new book, I thought I knew all I needed to know about the Declaration of Independence. But her deft, lively analysis punctures the received mythology and gives us an entirely original interpretation of our founding document." -- J. Anthony Lukas, author of Common Ground From the Trade Paperback edition., "Splendid. Maier skillfully traces the progress of the Declaration from political event to sacred text."--Washington Post "Sharp and engaging...A meticulous exhumation of American history that is full of fascinating details and scintillating insights."--San Francisco Chronicle "Gary Wills, stand aside. Pauline Maier has given us the freshest, best-informed historian's reading of the Declaration of Independence and its context that we have ever had.American Scriptureenables us to see just how this sacred text was created, and the ways in which it was unique. It is a remarkable achievement!" -- Richard D. Brown, University of Connecticut "Pauline Maier renders unto Jefferson that which is Jefferson's, but she tells a much larger story. She shows what made the Declaration possible and necessary, considers its lineage, probes its genesis in a time of extreme turmoil, and reflects on its continuing living meaning, achieving all of this in very elegant prose." -- Edward Countryman, Southern Methodist University "Quite simply the fairest, fullest, and finest account ever written of how the Declaration of Independence happened." -- Joseph J. Ellis, Mount Holyoke College "Until I read Pauline Maier's remarkable new book, I thought I knew all I needed to know about the Declaration of Independence. But her deft, lively analysis punctures the received mythology and gives us an entirely original interpretation of our founding document." -- J. Anthony Lukas, author ofCommon Ground From the Trade Paperback edition.
Dewey Edition21
Dewey Decimal973.3/13
SynopsisPauline Maier shows us the Declaration as both the defining statement of our national identity and the moral standard by which we live as a nation. It is truly "American Scripture," and Maier tells us how it came to be -- from the Declaration's birth in the hard and tortuous struggle by which Americans arrived at Independence to the ways in which, in the nineteenth century, the document itself became sanctified. Maier describes the transformation of the Second Continental Congress into a national government, unlike anything that preceded or followed it, and with more authority than the colonists would ever have conceded to the British Parliament; the great difficulty in making the decision for Independence; the influence of Paine's []Common Sense[], which shifted the terms of debate; and the political maneuvers that allowed Congress to make the momentous decision. In Maier's hands, the Declaration of Independence is brought close to us. She lets us hear the voice of the people as revealed in the other "declarations" of 1776: the local resolutions -- most of which have gone unnoticed over the past two centuries -- that explained, advocated, and justified Independence and undergirded Congress's work. Detective-like, she discloses the origins of key ideas and phrases in the Declaration and unravels the complex story of its drafting and of the group-editing job which angered Thomas Jefferson. Maier also reveals what happened to the Declaration after the signing and celebration: how it was largely forgotten and then revived to buttress political arguments of the nineteenth century; and, most important, how Abraham Lincoln ensured its persistence as a living force in American society. Finally, she shows how by the very act of venerating the Declaration as we do -- by holding it as sacrosanct, akin to holy writ -- we may actually be betraying its purpose and its power.
LC Classification NumberE221.M24 1997
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Oct 26, 2020
A celebration of the greatness of the American founding
Great book about the nation's founding. A compelling story about why america is an exceptional nation, especially in light of those who seek to diminish the founding and undermine our history.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- May 10, 2023
good purchase
excellent researchVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- May 23, 2024
Be
All humans must read itVerified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
