Five Words That Shook the World
It wasn’t Thomas Jefferson who made “All men are created equal” actually mean something.
Jamelle Bouie
July 1, 2026
An illustration of the Declaration of Independence with quills lying on top of its pages.

Naila Ruechel for The New York Times

Jamelle Bouie

Five Words That Shook the World

It wasn’t Thomas Jefferson who made “All men are created equal” actually mean something.

By Jamelle Bouie

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