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116th out of 8,316 books
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39,453 voters
The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States
The Declaration of Independence was the promise of a representative government; the Constitution was the fulfillment of that promise.
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a unanimous declaration: the thirteen North American colonies would be the thirteen United States of America, free and independent of Great Britain. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the Decl...more
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a unanimous declaration: the thirteen North American colonies would be the thirteen United States of America, free and independent of Great Britain. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the Decl...more
Paperback, 112 pages
Published
July 1st 1998
by Bantam Classics
(first published 1787)
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During South by Southwest 2003, I saw a movie called The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The movie is about President Chavez in Venezuela and the failed coup attempt on his presidency. In the background coverage of his presidency, the filmmakers recounted how as President, he encouraged his citizens to read their brand new constitution and learn it. They interviewed some Venezuelans who did not know to read, but had learned to read by reading their constitution.[return][return]I was touched by...more
Apr 30, 2012
Jeff Walden
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all Americans
Shelves:
constitution,
eminent-domain,
economics,
fifth-amendment,
freedom,
government,
history,
international-law,
justice,
law,
liberty,
nonfiction,
politics,
rkba,
scotus,
second-amendment,
slavery,
taxes,
war
What's to say? It's the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, in their original forms. The only adjustment is that portions of the Constitution and amendments changed by subsequent amendments are bracketed and footnoted to indicate which amendment changed them. (So, for example, the Eighteenth Amendment [instituting Prohibition] is bracketed and noted as repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment. Have you ever noticed the alcoholic beverage...more
Oct 13, 2011
Nick
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Nobody
Recommended to Nick by:
Everybody
Everyone including me has read this repeatedly for school. So I knew this would be bad, but I didn't know how bad until I went through it underlining everything negative and circling everything positive. Why the Cato institute publishes this, and why it is handed out at libertarian events completely escapes me.
I will omit things too minor to note. Asterisks rank importance.
Lets skip the declaration since its meh. Its way better than the constitution though. I'll just note that the consent of the...more
I will omit things too minor to note. Asterisks rank importance.
Lets skip the declaration since its meh. Its way better than the constitution though. I'll just note that the consent of the...more
3 likes · like · see review
view all 9 comments
Essential reading for any sentient being capable of -actual- reading. The development of the American empire affects most of the world. Yet, it was almost a provision of American thinkers not to fight tyranny itself but rather fight a small portion of the tyrants before becoming as such.
It is almost an historical contradiction that some years later United States of America found itself fighting terror, instead of a single terrorist. If History is not read correctly (about who is who and what is...more
It is almost an historical contradiction that some years later United States of America found itself fighting terror, instead of a single terrorist. If History is not read correctly (about who is who and what is...more
Only the foundation of our daily lives, the lives of our grandparents and our great grandchildren.
Its worth reading. Try to find the place where certain classes of people are not protected. Go on, it's fun. Check those Beautiful Amendments out. How bout that - who do they apply to? Citizens, legal immigrants, illegal immigrants?
The plot twist in the 2nd Amendment is riviting. I don't want to be a spoiler but the part about a Well regulated Militia being necessary - WOW!!!
Quiz to follow.
PS - Wh...more
Its worth reading. Try to find the place where certain classes of people are not protected. Go on, it's fun. Check those Beautiful Amendments out. How bout that - who do they apply to? Citizens, legal immigrants, illegal immigrants?
The plot twist in the 2nd Amendment is riviting. I don't want to be a spoiler but the part about a Well regulated Militia being necessary - WOW!!!
Quiz to follow.
PS - Wh...more
Mar 06, 2012
Christopher
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Christopher by:
Nobody
Reading the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States gives one an appreciation for just how forward thinking and far ahead of their time the founding fathers were. Or it should anyway. The establishment of the various checks and balances put forward in these documents, specifically the Constitution, is nothing short of brilliant. That said, it also drives home the point that, in spite of the genius entailed in these documents, they are imperfect. The founding fathers...more
Essential reading for any American. So many who use the words "unconstitutional" to support their agendas have never actually read the document, but get their understanding from other people who have never read it. Read it yourself. That rating should be 4.5 stars if Goodreads would allow it, which would include a perfect 5-star rating for the Declaration of Independence and most of the Constitution, with a slight deduction for the ruinous experiment of outlawing liquor (thankfully repealed) and...more
It a very compact sizer and I keep this in my purse at all time, just in case someone wants to read me my rights..."no thanks, I've got my own copy" ;-P
I don't think anyone would pick up a book like this for fun. There would definitely need to be a reason to do so. Mine was because I was going to take citizenship classes. I like to read books that have some sort of relationship with what's going on in my life.
This isn't a review of the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States since what can you say about them? They are what they are.
What was great about this edition was the introduction by Pauline Maier.She gave a fa...more
This isn't a review of the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States since what can you say about them? They are what they are.
What was great about this edition was the introduction by Pauline Maier.She gave a fa...more
I loved the beginning part. But the second half was a bit too esoteric. too wordy. Too much precision on inane topics.
The first part of this book is much more focused and easily comprehended than the rest of the "Constitution" part of the book. Gets right to the point; As in saying "I can say what I want, wherever I want"; "I can be considered innocent until there is evidence proving otherwise"; "I can be part of an armed militia in times of war for the defense of my home and country" ... finall...more
The first part of this book is much more focused and easily comprehended than the rest of the "Constitution" part of the book. Gets right to the point; As in saying "I can say what I want, wherever I want"; "I can be considered innocent until there is evidence proving otherwise"; "I can be part of an armed militia in times of war for the defense of my home and country" ... finall...more
I'm torn between 4 and 5. This was a brilliant concept to play with, but I felt sort of bereft upon finishing, like the story wasn't complete. I also thought a lot of issues were brought up and then addressed sort of prefunctorily, like slavery and stuff--it was like, oh yeah, I forgot that part of the story, I'll finish it up really quick and then move on...but I didn't get much of a sense of resolution. SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank god I have health insurance, because I think I just punctured my ch...more
Thank god I have health insurance, because I think I just punctured my ch...more
Review on "The Declaration of Independence"
Dates Read: 8-Nov- 2010 and 28-Jan-2011
I read “The Declaration of Independence” in an attempt to better understand the principles on which the United States was founded. I feel a need to be educated about its history and founding fathers philosophies to counter attack many of the revisionists that promote ideological based and at times plain un-American interpretations of America’s history and founding documents. There is no better source of understand...more
Dates Read: 8-Nov- 2010 and 28-Jan-2011
I read “The Declaration of Independence” in an attempt to better understand the principles on which the United States was founded. I feel a need to be educated about its history and founding fathers philosophies to counter attack many of the revisionists that promote ideological based and at times plain un-American interpretations of America’s history and founding documents. There is no better source of understand...more
I should confess that I am putting this copy up only to mean that I have read the Declaration and the Constitution themselves, and have copies on my bookshelf. I have not actually read this book with this particular foreword.
Sorry that that isn't really a review. These foundational documents are immortal, and important beyond description. Every American should read these documents, simply so that they may know what it does and does not say.
Sorry that that isn't really a review. These foundational documents are immortal, and important beyond description. Every American should read these documents, simply so that they may know what it does and does not say.
I would have given our founding documents a five-star review, except that the Founding Fathers left that tiny bit about slavery ("all other persons"; "that peculiar institution") in the Constitution. Despite today's conservative politicians exalting the Founding Fathers to the status of demigods, the fact that they gave in and compromised to keep slavery instead of standing by their principles to end the institution once and for all shows they were, in fact, mortal after all--they gave in to bot...more
May 03, 2013
DJ Harris
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
xander,
women,
tween-book,
teenage-book,
politics,
men,
government,
empowering,
america,
review
It is nearly impossible to review such an important historical work. In my opinion this is one of the most important documents in history.
Despite high school government class (which is, after all, where we are supposed to become "informed citizens" competent to participate in our democracy) the first time I read and discussed the complex interpretations of the Constitution was in law school. I do, however, know the Preamble to the Constitution by heart, so long as I sing it in the Schoolhouse Rocks song.....
Just in case anyone was wondering why I'm not progressing on those current reads it's because I'm too busy reading a lot of other short things... The rating on this work is rather arbitrary... I haven't read the commentary included in the volume so I can't really rate the book itself.... It is rather handy to be able to have the two together though.
Δύο πολύ εντυπωσιακά και σοφά κείμενα που διαπνέονται από την ουσία της ελευθερίας του πολίτη και είναι οι βάσεις για τη δημιουργία ενός αντιμπεριαλιστικού δημοκρατικού κράτους.
Θα έπρεπε να τα συμβουλεύονται τα κοινοβούλια όλων των χωρών του κόσμου.
Είναι πολύ κρίμα που οι ΗΠΑ αποδέχτηκαν μόνο κατ΄ όνομα αυτά τα κείμενα και ουσιαστικά τα αποκύρηξαν από την πρώτη χρονιά της ανεξαρτησίας τους.
Θα έπρεπε να τα συμβουλεύονται τα κοινοβούλια όλων των χωρών του κόσμου.
Είναι πολύ κρίμα που οι ΗΠΑ αποδέχτηκαν μόνο κατ΄ όνομα αυτά τα κείμενα και ουσιαστικά τα αποκύρηξαν από την πρώτη χρονιά της ανεξαρτησίας τους.
I love the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. It holds us to a higher standard, I've been ready it more lately as America steers further from it. My mom and I decided to make it a tradition to read it at least once a year in celebration of the fourth, as well as any time a law is passed that goes against it.
Thanks for those libertarians at the Cato Institute, I have a micro-sized copy of these two crucial documents. Of course, having the words at one's disposal doesn't making it much easier to interpret the ambiguities, and this book is far too small to beat sense into the heads of people that refuse to acknowledge ambiguities.
This is law, history, and literature. It's amazing how simply, beautifully, and completely the framers crafted these documents in (nearly) timeless fashion. The words are inspirational, and the book is a good refresher for America. Take a few hours and relive the first heartbeats of the United States.
I downloaded the free version for my kindle, and I was impressed with how radical it really was. The notions that people can overthrow a government that no longer serves them and that they have inalienable rights are very progressive. It is essential reading for anyone, and not just Americans.
I've read both of these in the past, but I don't think I've added them to my Goodreads. Since the Constitution was included in the appendix of Daniel Okrent's excellent history of Prohibition, which I just finished reading, I figured now would be a good time to add these foundational documents.
Well...I can't say I don't like this, because it's what my country's laws and government are based on. However, I do believe some things in the constitution are outdated and should be amended. But, for my own sake, I won't say what, so as not to spark a political debate. That is all I have to say.
Maier gives a good introduction to the development of these documents. It not only sets them in their historical context it also discusses their relationship to each other. Politicians are always asking each other if they have read the constitution. This book is a good way to do just that.
The Declaration of Independence - Kinda Rebellious!!!
The Constitution - a gajillion times better than The Articles of the Confederation.
PS - I own this book, but I'm not sure if I read it. My review is on the actual Declaration & Constitution - like you couldn't figure that out.
The Constitution - a gajillion times better than The Articles of the Confederation.
PS - I own this book, but I'm not sure if I read it. My review is on the actual Declaration & Constitution - like you couldn't figure that out.
It was OK. Maybe it means a lot to Americans,but for me it doesn't. It was a bit interesting,though,but I think I won't remember a word of it tomorrow, and that sucks,'cause I'm sure it will be in my American Literature exam. Whatever,it's short,I'll re-read it...
Nov 24, 2009
H. Lynch
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
those who cherish individual rights and limited government
Feels like this book should be in every Western reader's book list. Its simplicity and elegance are unrivaled, and it even demands re-reading and consequent mining of its parts and pieces. Very important, particularly in these days of outrageous federal powers.
Required reading for every true America-loving patriot. While your rights are God-given, these documents codified the best defense any country has every produced in defining and protecting them within the laws of Men. Find out for yourself what the liberals are trying to steal from you.
I'm not sure this is the exact version I read, but this is the best I could find. But this was very eye opening. What a beautiful piece of work that I believe with all my heart was directed by God. Learn it! Read it! Love it!
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The History Book ...: THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE | 22 | 161 | May 18, 2013 05:40am |
More than a mere renaissance man, Jefferson may actually have been a new kind of man. He was fluent in five languages and able to read two others. He wrote, over the course of his life, over sixteen thousand letters. He was acquainted with nearly every influential person in America, and a great many in Europe as well. He was a lawyer, agronomist, musician, scientist, philosopher, author, architect...more
More about Thomas Jefferson...
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