The United States is the only country founded on an idea--and it is that idea, and its evolution throughout American history, which this non-partisan and secular collection aspires to preserve. "The Patriotic Thinker" presents the most vital writings on American thought, framed in the context of a simple idea: that in America it is patriotic to think, to question, to be informed. Highlights include: The Declaration of Independence, 1776. The Bill of Rights. Constitutional amendments. Thomas Paine"s "Common Sense," 1776. Letters and essays from Jefferson, Adams, Washington and Franklin. Lincoln"s Gettysburg Address, 1863. Emerson"s "Self-Reliance." Alexis de Tocquevilles"s "Democracy in America." Emma Lazarus" "The New Colossus" (1883), engraved on the Statue of Liberty. JFK"s inaugural address.