Justice Gorsuch Book Introduces Youngsters to America’s Founding Principles
August 2026
Supreme Court Associate Justice, Neil Gorsuch, wants future generations to understand that “there are superheroes in our past that can inspire us” (at the 5:20 mark) and that “standing up for what you believe is hard in any age.” In his new children’s book, Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence, with co-author Janie Nitze, Justice Gorsuch tells of the sacrifice that our founding heroes - both well-known and those not-so well-known - made for our liberty. The book is described as ‘family-friendly – for ages 4-8’.
Through stories about iconic figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to lesser-known revolutionaries such as Caesar Rodney, Thomas Paine, Nathan Hale, and Mary Katherine Goddard, Gorsuch’s book inspires young people to realize that even they can accomplish great things.
Mary Katherine Goddard (at 6:40 mark of the video), for example, was a printer whose name appears on the first printed version of the Declaration of Independence with the names of all the signers. She and her brother started “The Continental Post” as an alternative to the “Royal Post.” M.K. Goddard turned the newspaper into a voice for patriot resistance.
Among other stories in the book is the one about Emily Geiger, an 18-year-old volunteer who rode across enemy-controlled territory to deliver a message to a general in the revolutionary army. She was captured by the British, so “Geiger memorized the message, swallowed the paper on which it was written, and managed to escape so she could deliver it.”
Gorsuch says he “hopes the nation’s 250th anniversary will similarly inspire Americans to reflect on ‘three perfect ideals’ embodied in the Declaration of Independence: equality, liberty and self-rule.”
“Those ideals speak to every human heart and belong to each of us,” Justice Gorsuch says, “and it’s up to each of us to ensure they long endure.”
August 2026
Supreme Court Associate Justice, Neil Gorsuch, wants future generations to understand that “there are superheroes in our past that can inspire us” (at the 5:20 mark) and that “standing up for what you believe is hard in any age.” In his new children’s book, Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence, with co-author Janie Nitze, Justice Gorsuch tells of the sacrifice that our founding heroes - both well-known and those not-so well-known - made for our liberty. The book is described as ‘family-friendly – for ages 4-8’.
Through stories about iconic figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to lesser-known revolutionaries such as Caesar Rodney, Thomas Paine, Nathan Hale, and Mary Katherine Goddard, Gorsuch’s book inspires young people to realize that even they can accomplish great things.
Mary Katherine Goddard (at 6:40 mark of the video), for example, was a printer whose name appears on the first printed version of the Declaration of Independence with the names of all the signers. She and her brother started “The Continental Post” as an alternative to the “Royal Post.” M.K. Goddard turned the newspaper into a voice for patriot resistance.
Among other stories in the book is the one about Emily Geiger, an 18-year-old volunteer who rode across enemy-controlled territory to deliver a message to a general in the revolutionary army. She was captured by the British, so “Geiger memorized the message, swallowed the paper on which it was written, and managed to escape so she could deliver it.”
Gorsuch says he “hopes the nation’s 250th anniversary will similarly inspire Americans to reflect on ‘three perfect ideals’ embodied in the Declaration of Independence: equality, liberty and self-rule.”
“Those ideals speak to every human heart and belong to each of us,” Justice Gorsuch says, “and it’s up to each of us to ensure they long endure.”