Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Author : Thomas K Clancy

Book Type : Non-Fiction

- Fourth of July Stories - This book tells American stories occurring on one day–the Fourth of July–beginning with the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and throughout our 250...

$19.95

Availability : Out of stock

ISBN/ASIN: 9798888192542

- Fourth of July Stories -

This book tells American stories occurring on one day–the Fourth of July–beginning with the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, and throughout our 250 year history. The Declaration of Independence announced that the new nation was grounded in an idea: “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Inside this book’s covers are the Founders who gave birth to that idea–Adams, Jefferson, Washington, with each having more than one consequential Fourth of July.

The Declaration’s promises now include more people and the concept of liberty is more expansive than what the Founders believed. Subsequent birthdays witnessed efforts by Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and Filipinos to include more people within the Declaration’s promises. The resulting expansion of liberty sometimes took many decades. The pursuit of happiness has also evolved and is highlighted by three different men on three very different Fourth of Julys: Theodore Roosevelt, Thoreau, and Lou Gehrig, with each pursuing different versions.

Important victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg and heart-rending scenes of military prisoners still honoring America have coincided with the nation’s birthday, illustrating the costs of freedom and the sacrifices that have been made. Nonetheless, freedom has expanded and that expansion has often coincided with the fourth day of the seventh month. This all makes the Fourth of July worthy to be our only Federal holiday with America as the honoree.

Author: Thomas K. Clancy
Page Count: 222
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Publish Date: January 7, 2025
Imprint: Sunbury Press
Genre: History

HISTORY / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)
HISTORY / United States / General
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Historical

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I have just started and this is a very interesting read.

I don't read that much, however, because this is much about history and it's details I love reading this wonderful book!

A Worthwhile Read

We often read or hear "this date in history" pieces and it's extraordinary the range of events that simply share a date. Well, July 4th is no exception! Tom Clancy writes thoroughly about the well-known events that happened on this day in U.S. history, but then he takes the reader to lesser known events that are equally fascinating. He also shares 4th of July celebration stories from unlikely perspectives over the years.

The figures who actually lived these events are quoted extensively throughout the book, allowing them to tell many of the stories themselves. For the serious reader of history this is welcome validation of events. To the less-serious reader of history, it's a fascinating peek into the minds of some of our most consequential historical figures. It's a worthwhile read!

Great read!

This is an excellent read! It is an accessible, focused, and informative look on the role that Independence Day has played in our history and in the lives of selected individuals.

Honestly, I was not expecting to be buoyed by a book about American history, but "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" could not have come out at a better time. I'm writing this in March 2025, in the middle of a particularly crapulous time in our history. It's a period when a corrupt and grievance-driven administration wants to rewrite history and dismantle democracy for the pettiest of reasons.

So something as simple as reading a book that contains the truth about our history, warts and all, can be unexpectedly uplifting and comforting in an era when truth itself is under attack.

There are many memorable passages, but one that particularly struck me was Teddy Roosevelt's 1886 Independence Day Speech in Dickinson, North Dakota (Chapter 11). It is both moving and prescient.

Timely read

What a great reflection of the different phases of the American experience. The hook of “the 4 of July” is fun and clever. More real events than most Americans remember . Mr Clancy makes history fun and easy to read and understand.. I’ve enjoyed sharing it with friends.