Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness: Britain and the American Dream (17401776)

(Hardback)

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A stunning and sweeping new work of narrative history from bestselling historian Peter Moore tracing the Enlightenment ideas that birthed the United States of America. In this sweeping work of narrative non-fiction, bestselling historian Peter Moore traces how Enlightenment ideas were exported from Britain and put into practice in America - where they became perhaps the most successful export of all time, the American Dream 'A great read' LADY HALE 'In this eloquent book, that American revolution becomes more global and enduring' ALAN TAYLOR 'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness' is the best-known phrase from the Declaration of Independence, one of the most important documents of the eighteenth century and the whole Enlightenment Age. Written by Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the text, it is frequently evoked today as a shorthand for that idea we call the 'American Dream'. But this is a line with a surprising history. Rather than being uniquely American, the vision it encapsulates - of a free and happy world - owes a great deal to British thinkers too. Centred on the life of Benjamin Franklin, featuring figures like the cultural giant Samuel Johnson, the ground-breaking historian Catharine Macaulay, the firebrand politician John Wilkes and revolutionary activist Thomas Paine, this book looks at the generation that preceded the Declaration in 1776. It takes us back to a vital moment in the foundation of the West, a time full of intent, confidence and ideas. It tells a whole new story about the birth of the United States of America - and some of the key principles by which we live to this very day. Published for the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party in 2022 'A trove of gripping...characters. Wonderfully absorbing and stimulating' SARAH BAKEWELL, author of AT THE EXISTENTIALIST CAFE

Reviews

Moore offers a rich and immersive intellectual history of the American Revolution... This is a pleasure * Publisher's Weekly (starred review) *
Like Jenny Uglow's The Lunar Men and Leo Damrosch's The Club, Moore's vibrant group biography brings to life the intellectual and political currents, in Britain and Colonial America, that gave rise to the phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,"... An energetic and meticulously researched history * Kirkus (starred review) *
A timely reminder that the origins of the three big ideas in the American Dream lay mainly in Great Britain, with a lively account of the principal actors and episodes in the developing drama, and Benjamin Franklin in the starring role: a great read * LADY HALE *
With deft insights and in clear prose, Moore restores the cosmopolitan origins of an American Revolution meant to liberate human potential. In this eloquent book, that revolution becomes more global and enduring and less parochial and limited * ALAN TAYLOR, Pulitzer Prize winning author of American Revolutions *
Building on the pioneering work of Bernard Bailyn and John Brewer, Peter Moore offers a gripping account of the way in which British pamphlet wars of the 1760s fuelled American debates about independence. Mixing famous Founders with lesser known figures, especially Franklin's long-time friend the Tory printer and publisher William Strahan, Moore's book brings out the hidden roots of the Declaration of Independence * STELLA TILLYARD, author of The Great Level *
The vivid descriptions of people, modes of communication, and social life are fascinating and give this well-researched history the readability of fiction * Booklist (starred review) *
With flair and insight, Peter Moore takes one of the most famous and deceptively simple lines in history - a line that founded a nation and changed the world. He digs into it, to unearth a wealth of unexpected influences and connections, a trove of gripping stories, and a vibrant company of characters. A wonderfully absorbing and stimulating book * SARAH BAKEWELL, author of At The Existentialist Cafe *
What a scintillating read. Atmospheric yet analytical, well-paced yet deeply probing, Moore's book delivers striking new perspectives with the stylistic grace of the Founding Fathers. I loved it * DAISY DUNN, author of Not Far From Brideshead *
The British empire of the eighteenth century blazed with the world-changing ideas and projects of thinkers and writers... Peter Moore captures this intellectual ferment in a fascinating narrative * ROBERT A. GROSS, author of The Minutemen and Their World *
In bringing five participants vividly to life, Moore gives us a warmly human account of the birth of American democracy. How pleasing that deep scholarship can be so enjoyable and thought-awaking * MARTIN LATHAM, author of The Bookseller's Tale *

Author Bio

Peter Moore is a writer, journalist and lecturer. He teaches creative writing at the University of Oxford. His debut, Damn His Blood, reconstructed a rural murder in 1806. His second, The Weather Experiment, a New York Times 'Notable Book of the Year', traced early efforts to forecast the weather. His latest book, Endeavour, was a multiple book of the year and a Sunday Times bestseller. He presents a history podcast called Travels Through Time.