Can Two Beliefs Transform a Nation?

THE FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF A NATION

As the United States celebrates 250 years of history, author Randy DeSoto believes it is time to recognize what America has gotten right in its pursuit of liberty. In his book, We Hold These Truths, DeSoto examines how two foundational beliefs expressed in the Declaration of Independence—that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights—have shaped the nation's history. Through accounts of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War II, He explores how these principles inspired generations of Americans to defend freedom, confront injustice, and preserve the nation's founding ideals.

DeSoto discusses the tensions between Great Britain and the American colonies, particularly the colonists' opposition to taxation without representation. He centers on Patrick Henry's famous 1775 speech before the Virginia Convention, in which he argued that peaceful attempts to resolve their grievances had failed and that the colonies must prepare to fight for their freedom. DeSoto presents Henry's declaration as an expression of the conviction that liberty was worth defending at any cost, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” He also highlights how figures like Reverend Peter Muhlenberg viewed the struggle for independence as both a political and moral responsibility.

DeSoto also explores the challenges that the U.S. faced in its early stages, pointing to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where leaders including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison worked to establish a stronger national government. DeSoto recounts Franklin's appeal for prayer during the Convention, emphasizing the Founders' belief in God’s guidance as they struggled to resolve their differences. The resulting Constitution, followed by the Bill of Rights, established a framework intended to balance governmental authority with the protection of individual freedoms. DeSoto contends that America’s founding was more than a political separation from Great Britian, but the establishment of a nation built upon the belief that fundamental rights come from God rather than government.

FIGHTING FOR LIBERTY AND DEFENDING FREEDOM

Although the Declaration of Independence proclaims that all men are created equal, the continued existence of slavery revealed a profound contradiction between America's founding ideals and its practices. DeSoto examines this conflict and the efforts of those who sought to extend the promise of liberty to all Americans. He focuses on one of the most influential voices in the abolitionist movement, Frederick Douglass, who was born into slavery and later escaped, becoming a prominent writer and speaker. Douglass’ faith strengthened his conviction that slavery violated both biblical teachings and the principles of the Declaration of Independence. DeSoto discusses Douglass' famous 1852 speech, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" in which he condemned the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom while millions remained enslaved. Rather than rejecting the Declaration's principles, Douglass appealed to them as a
standard by which the nation should be judged. DeSoto's account emphasizes the individuals who challenged injustice by appealing to the very beliefs upon which the United States was founded.

The struggle to preserve liberty did not end with the Civil War. DeSoto moves into the twentieth century, examining how American leaders once again confronted threats to freedom during World War II. He features figures like President Franklin D. Roosevelt, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, General George S. Patton, and General Douglas MacArthur, whose leadership helped shape the Allied effort against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Through their experiences, DeSoto connects the defense of liberty abroad with the principles that had guided the United States since its founding.

The book's broader narrative also includes leaders and influential figures from later generations, including Ronald Reagan and Charlie Kirk, extending its discussion of liberty into more recent American history. By connecting the nation's founding to the challenges of the Civil War, World War II, and the modern era, DeSoto argues that the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence have remained relevant across changing political and historical circumstances. Through the stories of some of the nation's most recognizable historical figures, he seeks to explain why the United States became known as the "land of the free and the home of the brave."

RANDY DESOTO

DeSoto is an author, journalist, award-winning screenwriter, and U.S. Army veteran whose work focuses on American history, politics, and the principles of liberty. He is a writer for The Western Journal and has contributed to The Daily Caller and Townhall.com. DeSoto also served as communications director and press secretary for multiple U.S. Senate campaigns.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, DeSoto earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and later received his Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law. His military background, education, and professional experience have contributed to his interest in the historical events and leaders featured in “We Hold These Truths.” Having personally visited many of the locations discussed in the book, including Boston, Gettysburg, and Bastogne, DeSoto brings firsthand familiarity with these historic sites to his account of America's pursuit of freedom.
 

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CREDITS

Author of We Hold These Truths (Randall Norman DeSoto, 2026); award winning screenwriter; journalist; writer with The Western Journal; U.S. Army veteran; graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he studied political science and history; Graduate of Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.