The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

America’s bestselling biographer reveals the origins of the most revolutionary line in the Declaration of Independence, the one that defines our rights as Americans—and how this greatest sentence ever written should shape our politics today.

To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Walter Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history’s most powerful “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that 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.”

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson and edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, this line from the Declaration of Independence carries profound weight. But did you know Jefferson originally wrote “sacred” instead of “self-evident”? Or that key phrases invoking divine rights and rational thought were meticulously debated and revised? Each edit balanced faith, reason, and radical new ideas that laid the foundation for a nation and for today’s democracy.

Isaacson unpacks its genius, word by word, illuminating the then-radical concepts behind it. Readers will gain a fresh appreciation for how it was drafted to inspire unity, equality, and the enduring promise of the American dream. With clarity and insight, one of our greatest biographers reveals not just the power of these words but reminds us of their importance in these times.