The Pursuit of Happiness in the Founding Era : An Intellectual History Intro Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: The Pursuit of Happiness in Blackstones Commentaries on the Laws of England Chapter 1. Placement and Purpose: A New Science of Jurisprudence Chapter 2. An Enlightenment Epistemology: Anglican Theology and Scottish Common Sense Philosophy Chapter 3. Improvement and Perfection of the Common Law: History and Architecture Part II: The Pursuit of Happiness in the Declaration of Independence Chapter 4. Textual Context: Placement Drafting and Structure Chapter 5. No New Ideas : Four Strands of Founding Era Thought Chapter 6. Intermingling of the Four Strands Chapter 7. Convergence of the Four Strands: The Pursuit of Happiness Part III: The Pursuit of Happiness: A Private Right and a Public Duty Chapter 8. A Single Definition with Dual Applications Chapter 9. Improvement and Perfection from the Commentaries Forward Conclusion Appendices I. Historiography of William Blackstone and the Commentaries II. Historiography of the Pursuit of Happiness in the Declaration of Independence III. Blackstones Commentaries Introduction Section the Second Of the Nature of Laws in General pp. 38 44 IV. Jeffersons original Rough draught of the Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jeffersons John Adamss and Benjamin Franklins Edits Included as Reconstructed by Carl Becker V. The Declaration of Independence with Edits by the Continental Congress Marked as Reconstructed by Carl Becker VI. The Declaration of Independence a Transcript from the National Archives Notes Bibliography Index