Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2014

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Essay Topics

The role of talk and conversation is a central theme in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. How does conversation lead Allen to an early interest in equality between people and to writing this book?

Allen frequently uses analogies to illustrate her points, as in her comparison of the Declaration to a memo written by a CEO. How do these comparisons illustrate that everyone can claim the Declaration?

Though Allen is not a historian, is Our Declaration a historical work? How is Allen herself a product of history?

How does Allen use the presence or absence of God in the text to prove that the Declaration is for everyone?

How are the colonists both optimists and pessimists about human beings?

Allen frequently compares the relationship between the colonists and the British people to a friendship or familial relationship. How does successful friendship between colonial leaders contribute to democratic writing?

What is the Declaration’s view of government? How is access to government different from voting or participating in politics?

Has reading Our Declaration changed your view of Thomas Jefferson as an author and as a person? How so?

How does Allen illustrate that equality is distinct from sameness or equal ability?

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While most of the work’s key figures are men, there are several prominent women in Our Declaration, both from Allen’s personal history and the larger history of the Declaration. How do women shape Allen’s perceptions of equality and why it matters? How do women also participate in democratic writing?