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Book Talk: Walter Isaacson - The Greatest Sentence Ever Written
Join us for an evening with Walter Isaacson as he discusses his new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. Presented in partnership with Octavia Books, the event will be followed by a book signing. Tickets include a copy of the book.
Walter Isaacson, the biographer of geniuses like Benjamin Franklin, reveals the origins of the most genius, revolutionary line in the Declaration of Independence. This is the sentence that defines who we are as Americans—and explains how it should shape our politics today.
To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Isaacson takes readers on a fascinating deep dive into the creation of one of history’s most powerful sentences: “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 lays the foundation for the American Dream and defines the common ground we share as a nation. 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 America. With clarity and insight, he reveals not just the power of these words but describes how, in these polarized times, we can use them to restore an appreciation for our common values.
Walter Isaacson is the bestselling author of biographies of Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Jennifer Doudna, and Elon Musk. He is a professor of history at Tulane and was CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 2023.
Learn more at isaacson.tulane.edu.
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