Book Forum 

# *Proclaiming Liberty: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Declaration of Independence*

Published By Cato Institute • 2026 

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Date and Time 

May 1, 2026 11:30 AM - 1 PM EDT 

Location 

Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC 

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##### Featuring 

[![Media Name: tim-sandefur-cropped.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/authors/crops/tim-sandefur-cropped.jpg?itok=CejcNcC1)](/people/timothy-sandefur) 

[Timothy Sandefur](/people/timothy-sandefur)

Vice President for Legal Affairs, Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation, Goldwater Institute

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](https://twitter.com/timothysandefur) 

[![Media Name: mcdonald.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/authors/crops/mcdonald.jpg?itok=hi1dPc7V)](/people/robert-mcdonald) 

[Robert McDonald](/people/robert-mcdonald)

Professor of History, Department of History & War Studies, United States Military Academy; Adjunct Scholar 

[![Roger Pilon](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/author_picture/public/2021-01/Roger%20Pilon.jpg?itok=cmI-eTjr)](/people/roger-pilon) 

[Roger Pilon](/people/roger-pilon)

Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies

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](https://x.com/Roger_Pilon) [ 

](mailto:rpilon@cato.org) 

As America approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, *Proclaiming Liberty* revisits the revolutionary summer of 1776 through the minds of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two men whose words and ideas gave birth to modern liberty. Timothy Sandefur’s engaging narrative brings to life the “American mind” of those extraordinary Founders—their arguments, ideals, and dedication to natural rights and self-government, all of which coalesced in America’s Declaration of Independence.

Join us for a rich conversation about liberty and the enduring promise of 1776.

Lunch to follow.

![Front cover image for Proclaiming Liberty. The Liberty Bell surrounded by signatures from the Declaration of Independence.](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/promo_block_book_cover_1x/public/2026-01/ProclaimingLiberty_FC.jpeg?itok=sV__LVSp) 

### *[Proclaiming Liberty: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and the Declaration of Independence](https://www.cato.org/books/proclaiming-liberty)*

As America approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, *Proclaiming Liberty* revisits the revolutionary summer of 1776 through the minds of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two men whose words and ideas gave birth to modern liberty.

[Purchase Book](https://www.cato.org/books/proclaiming-liberty) 

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This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).