A Sanctuary for the Rights of Mankind

The story of the founding of the United States is one of heroism and daring mixed with defiance and insurrection; nobility and high idealism countered by cunning and betrayal; compassion and self-sacrifice intertwined with conquest and greed. It is a narrative not simply of the great tide of events that effected the unlikely defeat of a mighty empire by its own colonies, but of the character of the men and women who rejected kingship in favor of democratic governance dedicated to the rights of mankind and the principles of liberty, justice, and peace. In the pursuit of these ideals, the Founders envisioned themselves guided and protected by an inspiring spirit that bound them together and gave their individual struggles and ordeals a common purpose. In the very act of forging a new nation and setting forth their thoughts in documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the Founders saw themselves building a home, a permanent dwelling place for this spirit--a Temple of Liberty. The story of how this Temple was built and its meaning for the people of the nation is embedded in hundreds of works of poetry, art, architecture, sculpture, and song from the first century of the nation's history. In this compelling study of the Revolution, Spaulding and York draw out this often forgotten dimension of the Founding of America, indicating a basis for a renewed understanding of the intentions of the Founders and their extraordinary significance for our own times.