Used, Abused, and Sidelined: Debating the Declaration

Since it was published in 1776, the Declaration of Independence has been used to advocate for social justice and to maintain inequitable social hierarchies; it has served as a model for justifying revolutions in other nations and for the Confederacy’s secession from the US federal government. But as we approach its 250th anniversary, this book asks: Does the Declaration still matter?

In this volume, leading scholars explore how this remarkably pliable document has been used for progressive a...