250 Years of American Independence
250 Years of American Independence
The United States approaches its 250th birthday deeply politically divided, but not hopeless. The same freedom that we inherited from previous generations is vibrant today because the constitutional order they bequeathed to us remains strong. In the musical Hamilton, faced with death, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s titular character calls America the “great unfinished symphony.” Even the most ambitious symphony requires a score, and America’s was written in the Declaration of Independence and refined in the Constitution—documents that channel freedom into ordered liberty and transform countless individual pursuits into something greater than the sum of their parts.
A 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial, is less clean and neat than a 100th, 200th, or 300th. But in that sense, it captures more of the true spirit of the Fourth of July. The signing of the Declaration of Independence was not a conclusion but a beginning; it was not a capstone but a cornerstone. Two hundred and fifty years of America have not been clean and neat, or linear, but vibrant, dynamic, and at times chaotic.
In his famous text, Democracy in America, French political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville captured the value of freedom’s creative energy: “Freedom … engenders far more benefits than it destroys.” Built on the cornerstones of the Declaration and the Constitution, American freedom has unleashed a society of extraordinary energy and creativity, proving to be an engine for productivity, prosperity, and progress unrivaled in human history even as it has encountered division, reversals, and failures. This Independence Day, we should not only celebrate the blessings freedom has brought us but also ambitiously look forward to the future it enables us to build.
Today, our economy remains dynamic, our military strength is world-leading, and we live on the cutting edge of progress. Yet the greatest examples of the benefits of American freedom may well be in your own neighborhood. Press outlets are currently filled with stories of World Cup visitors experiencing their own “Tocqueville moments.” Our guests are finding joy and wonder in the warmth of American hospitality, the coolness of ubiquitous air conditioning, and the abundance of bottomless refills.
This Independence Day, we should celebrate freedom by reveling in its bounty. Patronize a favorite local business, give a gift to a neighbor, volunteer in your community, and share a meal with your family. Step back from doom-filled headlines and polarizing social media to appreciate all the great things life in America offers you, wherever you may be. Then focus on the opportunities freedom affords you to build a better tomorrow for yourself, your family, and the country as a whole.
America is more than a work in progress; it is the great unfinished symphony, still guided by the score written by our founders 250 years ago.
Happy semiquincentennial from R Street to you and yours!