Declaration Of Independence Book Review

The Declaration of Independence is regarded as an icon of American Independence and national identity. It is a moral standard that defines people’s lives. Politically it is an expression of the values and political ideologies of America. This literary text reveals the genius of Thomas Jefferson, the creator. Mayer records the birth and inscription and reintroduction of this highly revered book and in the process tries to remove several myths and misconceptions associated with it. Hence, the purpose of writing American Scriptures is to acquaint the readers with the history of “Declaration of Independence” and the struggles that have gone behind it. The writer also brings to the forefront several new voices that had remained unheard in the past …show more content…
In fact, a complex set of political events gave way to the Declaration of Independence and its avatar in the textual format. Moreover, it was not the working of a single individual (namely Jefferson) but a combined effort of several known and unknown faces like the delegates to the Second Continental Congress along with large gatherings of local American people who participated in political discourses and acted on the momentous subjects of nationhood and independence. This fact is revealed in the title of the book, as Mayer brings to attention the contribution of a large number of Americans by defining the heading as “American Scripture” which literally means that American Independence and its well-loved symbol “the Declaration” are actually the results of the combined effort of American politicians and citizens and not the inspiration of any single man. Furthermore, the subtitle of the book, “Making the Declaration of Independence” brings to light that this making was not restricted to the year 1776, but, is in fact, a continuous process where the policy makers continue to take inspiration and amend laws and introduce new laws to suit the changing needs of the