Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch co-wrote the children's book Heroes of 1776 with his former law clerk, Janie Nitze. Gorsuch promoted the book through appearances on various media outlets, including Fox News.

During an appearance on Fox News, Gorsuch stated that the justices' disagreements over how to interpret the Constitution have "nothing to do with politics." He also promoted the book on the National Review, Reason, Hugh Hewitt's radio show, CBS news, ABC News, and with David French of the New York Times. An article on Bloomberg Law noted in May that Gorsuch's choice of promotional outlets shows how the court's liberal-conservative divide can extend to the justices' publicity tours.

Heroes of 1776 is 48 pages long. Amazon states that the book is intended for students from preschool through third grade, and customers say the reading age is "7+" years. The book includes the statement, "My hand trembles, but my heart does not!" attributed to Stephen Hopkins.

The book tells the story of James Armistead Lafayette, a Black American who served as a spy for America. It notes that women formed their own resistance groups during the Revolutionary War and describes two women who served in battle during that conflict. A "Message from Neil Gorsuch" appears on the last page of text.

The message cites the women gathered in Seneca Falls in 1848 to demand equal rights, President Abraham Lincoln's call to abolish slavery during the Civil War, and Dr. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech in 1963. The book describes Thomas Jefferson's mockingbird as his "constant companion" and states that it occasionally "would take food from his lips."

Why It Matters

Gorsuch's co-authorship and promotion of Heroes of 1776 follows a pattern of Supreme Court justices engaging in literary work for younger audiences. Justice Sonia Sotomayor has written five children's books, including Just Ask! in 2019, and Justice Sandra Day O'Connor published the children's book Chico more than two decades ago, becoming the first Supreme Court justice to do so.