Introduction
Part I : The pursuit of happiness in Blackstone's commentaries on the laws of England
Placement and purpose : a new science of jurisprudence
An enlightenment epistemology : Anglican theology and Scottish common sense philosophy
Improvement and perfection of the common law : history and architecture
Part II : The pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence
Textual context : placement, drafting, and structure
"No new ideas" : four strands of founding era thought
Intermingling of the four strands
Convergence of the four strands : the pursuit of happiness
Part III : The pursuit of happiness : a private right and a public duty
A single definition with dual applications
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. Blackstone's Commentaries, Introduction, Section the Second, Of the Nature of Laws in General, pp. 38-44
IV. Jefferson's "original rough draught" of the Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson's, John Adams's, and Benjamin Franklin's 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.