Justice Clarence Thomas on the Last Sentence of the Declaration

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:07]When I encounter the Declaration of Independence anew today, I am most struck by the final sentence.

[00:00:16]It can be easy to forget, 250 years later, the courage it took for those 56 men to sign the Declaration.

[00:00:27]Arguably, those men committed treason against the king, risking death at the hands of an empire far mightier than the newborn United States.

[00:00:42]They thus concluded with the memorable final sentence, and I quote, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

[00:01:07]I will say it again.

[00:01:09]We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.