As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, bestselling biographer Walter Isaacson delivers a bold reminder: This milestone isn’t just about cake and fireworks—it’s a chance to rediscover what truly binds us together. With polarization at an all-time high, it’s easy to feel like there’s nothing left to celebrate. But here’s where it gets hopeful: Isaacson argues that, just as we did during the Bicentennial following the turbulent eras of Vietnam and Watergate, we can use this moment to focus on our shared values instead of our divisions.
At the heart of this unity lies a single, powerful sentence from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” In his new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written (available November 18), Isaacson dives into the fascinating story behind this phrase. Did you know it took four revisions by the drafting committee—including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams—to get it just right? And this is the part most people miss: The evolution of this sentence reveals a delicate balance between reason and divine providence, a debate that still resonates today.
Jefferson initially wrote, “We hold these truths to be sacred…” But Franklin, ever the pragmatist, crossed out “sacred” and replaced it with “self-evident.” Why? Because the new nation was meant to be founded on reason, not religious dogma. Yet, the sentence also invokes the “Creator,” thanks to Adams’s edit: “They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” This tension between reason and faith reflects the Founders’ ability to reconcile competing ideals—a skill Isaacson believes we desperately need to relearn.
The stakes were never clearer than at the signing of the Declaration. John Hancock’s bold signature became legendary, but it was Franklin’s grim yet unifying quip that summed it all up: “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we’ll all hang separately.” Controversial question: In a nation so deeply divided, can we still find common ground in these foundational principles?
Isaacson’s book isn’t just a history lesson—it’s a call to action. By reflecting on the Declaration’s timeless words, we can reignite our shared purpose. So, as we prepare to celebrate this monumental birthday, let’s not just look back; let’s look inward and ask ourselves: What does it mean to hang together in 2025?
For further reading:
- The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson (Simon & Schuster), available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio formats on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.
- Follow Walter Isaacson on Instagram for more insights.
Produced by Julie Kracov. Edited by Chad Cardin.
