This one-week course explores the Declaration of Independence as a document of profound duality. On one hand, it was a highly particular act: a list of 27 specific grievances against King George III, detailing colonial complaints about taxation, representation, judicial interference, and more, crafted to justify the 13 colonies’ break from Britain in 1776. On the other, its preamble articulates timeless, universal principles: «all men are created equal,» endowed with «unalienable Rights» to «Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,» with government deriving powers from the consent of the governed. We will closely read the text, analyzing how these abstract ideals emerged from a concrete historical crisis yet transcended it, influencing global revolutions, human rights declarations, and ongoing debates about equality and liberty. Through discussion, primary sources, and comparative analysis, we will grapple with whether the Declaration’s power lies in its local origins or its aspirational reach—and how this duality shapes its enduring relevance today.