Abstract: One of the great leaders of the United States, Jefferson, saw himself primarily as a designer. This is evident from his tombstone, which he designed, and on which we can read three things: Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American Independence, author of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia. These were the three things Jefferson thought were worth mentioning on his tombstone. He did not record his various activities—that he had been president of the United States, minister to France, an architect. He recorded only what he had left behind for future generations: his creative legacy, to the world, his lasting contributions to prosperity. Consider looking at the world as a series of design assignments. How would we present the design assignment of the Declaration of Independence? Perhaps it could be framed like this: please prepare a document that provides us with the concept of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness free from remote tyranny. That would be the retroactive design assignment of the Declaration of Independence.
Publication Year: 1993
Publication Date: 1993-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 3
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