Proclaiming Liberty is a fast-paced intellectual history that traces how John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and their contemporaries transformed centuries of political thought into the revolutionary principles of the Declaration of Independenceand why those principles still matter today.As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Proclaiming Liberty revisits the revolutionary year of 1776 through the minds of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two men whose words and ideas gave birth to modern liberty. Timothy Sandefur's engaging narrative brings to life the ';American mind' as those extraordinary Founders sought to express ittheir arguments, ideals, and enduring beliefs in natural rights and self-government. Sweeping from the English Civil War and the writings of Locke and Montesquieu to the colonial battles over the Stamp and Townshend Acts and the battlefields of Massachusetts and Virginia, Sandefur's fast-paced narrative shows how the Declaration distilled centuries of debate about freedom, law, and human nature into one of history's most enduring statements on justice. Blending biography, political thought, and legal historyfrom Sir Edward Coke and Edmund Burke to Tacitus and Frederick DouglassProclaiming Liberty traces the Declaration's legacy through the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and the modern age, documenting how its principles have continued to challenge tyranny, refute relativism, and inspire movements for justice. As America marks a quarter millennium of independence, Proclaiming Liberty reminds us that the promise of 1776 remains both timeless and urgent and that freedom is not a historical accident but the birthright of every human being. The Declaration provided the means to ensure that all people can enjoy their inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. On his deathbed, John Adams offered a toast: ';Independence forever! Proclaiming Liberty shows why those are words all Americans should live by.

Through

Throughout history, kings and emperors have promised “freedoms” to their people. Yet these freedoms were really only permissions handed down from on high. The American Revolution inaugurated a new vision: people have basic rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and government must ask permission from them. Sadly, today’s increasingly bureaucratic society is beginning to turn back the clock and to transform America into a nation where our freedoms—the right to speak freely, to earn a living, to own a gun, to use private property, even the right to take medicine to save one’s own life—are again treated as privileges the government may grant or withhold at will. Timothy Sandefur examines the history of the distinction between rights and privileges that played such an important role in the American experiment, and how we can fight to retain our freedoms against the growing power of government. Illustrated with dozens of real-life examples—including many cases he litigated himself—Sandefur shows how treating freedoms as government-created privileges undermines our Constitution and betrays the basic principles of human dignity.

Best remembered today for his blockbuster documentary series The Ascent of Man, Jacob Bronowski spent decades explaining scientific ideas to laypersons on television and radio. A true Renaissance man, Bronowski was not only a scientist, but a philosopher and a poet. In this first-ever biography, author Timothy Sandefur examines the extraordinary accomplishments and fascinating range of thought of this brilliant man. As Sandefur documents, the extent of Bronowki's interests and achievements is staggering. He revolutionized the study of William Blake, invented smokeless coal, and proved Australopithecus africanus was an ancestor of humans. He was a close friend of Leo Szilard (inventor of the atomic bomb) and William Empson (the prominent poet). He won the British equivalent of an Emmy for a radio play he wrote, sparked the "Two Cultures" controversy of the 1960s, led the mission sent to assess the effects of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and cofounded the Salk Institute for Biological Studies with Jonas Salk. A marvelously eloquent and compelling speaker, Bronowski spent the last half of his life teaching the possibilities of humanism, freedom, science, and peace. This thoroughly researched and eloquently written biography will spark renewed interest in one of the great public intellectuals of the twentieth century.

Is liberty or democracy the primary constitutional value? At a time when Americans are increasingly facing violations of their civil liberties, Timothy Sandefur's insightful new book explains why the Declaration of Independence, with its doctrines on the primacy of liberty, the natural rights of man, and the limits on legitimate government, should serve as the guidepost for understanding the Constitution. The author takes the reader through the ideas of substantive due process and judicial activism and defends them from mainstream criticisms while drawing on examples from literature, television, and Supreme Court cases. The Conscience of the Constitution: The Declaration of Independence and the Right to Liberty argues that modern legal doctrines, which value democracy over liberty, are endangering individual rights and corrupting our civic institutions.

Published shortly after the Supreme Court's decision in Kelo v. New London case, The Cornerstone of Liberty: Property Rights in 21st Century America made a powerful contribution to the firestorm of interest in protecting property rights. Now in its second edition, The Cornerstone of Liberty looks at the post-Kelo reform measures and the legislation that has shifted the landscape of private property rights, often dramatically, both for good and for bad. Through a combination of real-life stories and solid legal analysis, this book shows why the right to ownership is one of the most essential of human rights, how that right is protected in the U.S. Constitution, and critically examines how courts and legislatures have reacted in the wake of Kelo. This second edition includes new court cases and legislation, including Arizona's Proposition 207, the most successful of the post-Kelo property rights reforms.

Proclaiming Liberty is a fast-paced intellectual history that traces how John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and their contemporaries transformed centuries of political thought into the revolutionary principles of the Declaration of Independenceand why those principles still matter today.As America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Proclaiming Liberty revisits the revolutionary year of 1776 through the minds of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two men whose words and ideas gave birth to modern liberty. Timothy Sandefur's engaging narrative brings to life the ';American mind' as those extraordinary Founders sought to express ittheir arguments, ideals, and enduring beliefs in natural rights and self-government. Sweeping from the English Civil War and the writings of Locke and Montesquieu to the colonial battles over the Stamp and Townshend Acts and the battlefields of Massachusetts and Virginia, Sandefur's fast-paced narrative shows how the Declaration distilled centuries of debate about freedom, law, and human nature into one of history's most enduring statements on justice. Blending biography, political thought, and legal historyfrom Sir Edward Coke and Edmund Burke to Tacitus and Frederick DouglassProclaiming Liberty traces the Declaration's legacy through the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and the modern age, documenting how its principles have continued to challenge tyranny, refute relativism, and inspire movements for justice. As America marks a quarter millennium of independence, Proclaiming Liberty reminds us that the promise of 1776 remains both timeless and urgent and that freedom is not a historical accident but the birthright of every human being. The Declaration provided the means to ensure that all people can enjoy their inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. On his deathbed, John Adams offered a toast: ';Independence forever! Proclaiming Liberty shows why those are words all Americans should live by.

Through

Throughout history, kings and emperors have promised “freedoms” to their people. Yet these freedoms were really only permissions handed down from on high. The American Revolution inaugurated a new vision: people have basic rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and government must ask permission from them. Sadly, today’s increasingly bureaucratic society is beginning to turn back the clock and to transform America into a nation where our freedoms—the right to speak freely, to earn a living, to own a gun, to use private property, even the right to take medicine to save one’s own life—are again treated as privileges the government may grant or withhold at will. Timothy Sandefur examines the history of the distinction between rights and privileges that played such an important role in the American experiment, and how we can fight to retain our freedoms against the growing power of government. Illustrated with dozens of real-life examples—including many cases he litigated himself—Sandefur shows how treating freedoms as government-created privileges undermines our Constitution and betrays the basic principles of human dignity.

Best remembered today for his blockbuster documentary series The Ascent of Man, Jacob Bronowski spent decades explaining scientific ideas to laypersons on television and radio. A true Renaissance man, Bronowski was not only a scientist, but a philosopher and a poet. In this first-ever biography, author Timothy Sandefur examines the extraordinary accomplishments and fascinating range of thought of this brilliant man. As Sandefur documents, the extent of Bronowki's interests and achievements is staggering. He revolutionized the study of William Blake, invented smokeless coal, and proved Australopithecus africanus was an ancestor of humans. He was a close friend of Leo Szilard (inventor of the atomic bomb) and William Empson (the prominent poet). He won the British equivalent of an Emmy for a radio play he wrote, sparked the "Two Cultures" controversy of the 1960s, led the mission sent to assess the effects of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and cofounded the Salk Institute for Biological Studies with Jonas Salk. A marvelously eloquent and compelling speaker, Bronowski spent the last half of his life teaching the possibilities of humanism, freedom, science, and peace. This thoroughly researched and eloquently written biography will spark renewed interest in one of the great public intellectuals of the twentieth century.

Is liberty or democracy the primary constitutional value? At a time when Americans are increasingly facing violations of their civil liberties, Timothy Sandefur's insightful new book explains why the Declaration of Independence, with its doctrines on the primacy of liberty, the natural rights of man, and the limits on legitimate government, should serve as the guidepost for understanding the Constitution. The author takes the reader through the ideas of substantive due process and judicial activism and defends them from mainstream criticisms while drawing on examples from literature, television, and Supreme Court cases. The Conscience of the Constitution: The Declaration of Independence and the Right to Liberty argues that modern legal doctrines, which value democracy over liberty, are endangering individual rights and corrupting our civic institutions.

Published shortly after the Supreme Court's decision in Kelo v. New London case, The Cornerstone of Liberty: Property Rights in 21st Century America made a powerful contribution to the firestorm of interest in protecting property rights. Now in its second edition, The Cornerstone of Liberty looks at the post-Kelo reform measures and the legislation that has shifted the landscape of private property rights, often dramatically, both for good and for bad. Through a combination of real-life stories and solid legal analysis, this book shows why the right to ownership is one of the most essential of human rights, how that right is protected in the U.S. Constitution, and critically examines how courts and legislatures have reacted in the wake of Kelo. This second edition includes new court cases and legislation, including Arizona's Proposition 207, the most successful of the post-Kelo property rights reforms.