This book critically examines the Declaration of Independence, using the tools of literary analysis to argue that equality is a precondition for freedom, rather than an obstacle to it.

This argument is a compelling one, since it flies in the face of contemporary political philosophy; it’s fairly commonplace to argue that equality imposes constraints on individual freedom. Allen’s argument is that freedom is not possible without equality, and to make the point she examines five facets of equality which the Declaration of Independence draws upon. I think the result is a fairly convincing thesis, although it is quite limited in scope. This book’s analysis of equality is about procedural equality, that is, the equality of all people in their right to participate in the political process. That is certainly an important form of equality, and it would have been very novel in 1776; but in 2017 the belief in procedural equality is just about universal, thankfully. In our time, debates tend to be about the conflict between individual freedom and substantive equality - a guaranteed standard of living. That is why left-wing politicians so often take pains to clarify that they support equality of opportunity - it’s thought to be less burdensome to individual freedom than equality of outcomes. Allen really didn’t address the concept of substantive equality here. That’s fine, given that the Declaration of Independence doesn’t really have much to say about substantive equality; but on the other hand, it also limits the degree to which this argument is really ground-breaking for our time.

I quite enjoyed the discussion of the drafting process that led to the finished document - Allen calls it democratic writing, but more often it’s referred to as drafting by committee. I wish she had gone into more depth as to the substance of these debates, and had focused less on the process behind them, because it sounds like there were some very interesting choices made along the way. For example, the introduction of religious language was done deliberately but in quite a nuanced fashion; I would have liked to learn more about the reasoning behind that choice.

The substance of Allen’s analysis of the text is excellent, although a bit drawn-out at times. Her comparison of the text to a marriage ritual is certainly unique, and it makes a lot of sense - but I think she extends it so far as to make it a distraction. Likewise with the imagery of rivers and the concept of navigation and course correction. This concept is really useful, and the historical allusion behind it is quite revealing; but the pace of analysis gets bogged down in this metaphor. On the other hand, I really liked the way that Allen draws out the syllogism in the first paragraph, and contextualizes it within the world of 18th century thought. Moreover, the elucidation of the bill of particulars is nothing short of masterful. I’ll be honest, I’ve always glossed over that part, but Allen’s analysis really brings a lot of insight and historical acumen to this section of the text.

On the whole I found this book quite fascinating. The language was a bit awkward and academic, which was a little distracting. And the argument is perhaps less grandiose than promised. But it’s a trenchant and revealing look at a founding document which deserves this kind of thorough reading.