Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Angelo Monaco
“While the Declaration of Independence is frequently lauded as a masterpiece of political philosophy, I have always held that beneath its revolutionary rhetoric lies a sophisticated blueprint for a liberal economic order. Far from a mere catalog of political grievances, the document functions as a definitive rejection of the British economic system, asserting that the ‘pursuit of happiness’ is inextricably linked to the individual’s right to self-ownership, vocation, and the unencumbered exchange of labor. By grounding the legitimacy of government in the protection of pre-political, unalienable rights — most notably the security of property against arbitrary taxation and the freedom to trade with ‘all parts of the world’ — Jefferson and the Continental Congress established the moral and legal infrastructure necessary for a spontaneous market order.” (06/24/26)
https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/independence-through-an-economists-eyes/