America’s 250th anniversary presents a rare opportunity to revisit the ideas that launched the great American experiment and consider what they mean for our future.
Across the country, Americans are debating issues that touch nearly every aspect of our lives.
From affordability and economic opportunity to free speech, civic responsibility, and the proper role of government, the questions facing our country are significant.
In many ways, they’re the same questions America’s founders wrestled with nearly 250 years ago.
Understanding how they answered them can help us think more clearly about the challenges we face today.
That’s one reason Americans for Prosperity is encouraging Americans to do something surprisingly simple: read the Declaration of Independence.
As we prepare to commemorate America’s 250th birthday, there’s no better time to revisit the document that launched our nation.
The Declaration isn’t just a piece of history, but a statement of principles, and a bold argument about human dignity, freedom, and self-government that continues to shape our national conversation today.
More than a break from Britain
Most Americans remember the Declaration of Independence as the document that announced America’s separation from Great Britain. It was also so much more.
Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration is a blueprint for self-government. It laid out the principles that would guide the American experiment and define the relationship between citizens and government.
Importantly, it argued:
- All people are created equal
- They possess inherent rights
- The government derives its authority from the consent of the people
Those ideas helped shape a new nation.
Nearly 250 years later, they continue to influence how Americans think about freedom, opportunity, citizenship, and the proper role of government.
The Declaration may not provide a direct answer to every challenge facing the country today. But it offers insight into the principles that have guided America since its founding and shape the debates that will define its future.
The ideas that made the American Dream possible
The principles outlined in the Declaration helped create the conditions for generations of Americans to pursue better lives.
The idea that individuals should be free to build, create, innovate, and pursue their own aspirations has fueled extraordinary progress over the last 250 years.
From entrepreneurs starting businesses to families building communities, generations of Americans have used those freedoms to pursue their own version of the American Dream.
Those principles helped make the American Dream possible. They continue to inspire people seeking the freedom to chart their own course and build a better future for themselves and their families for generations to come.
One Small Step for America’s next chapter
America’s 250th anniversary is a moment to look back, but also to look forward.
Every generation inherits the responsibility to preserve and strengthen the principles that have made freedom and opportunity possible.
The questions facing our country today may look different from those in 1776, but the challenge remains the same: how to build a society where individuals are free to pursue their dreams, contribute to their communities, and govern themselves, all while embracing different religions and ways of life.
The Declaration of Independence offers a reminder of the principles that launched that experiment nearly 250 years ago.
As America prepares to celebrate this milestone, take a few moments to read the Declaration for yourself. Consider the ideas it contains, the nation those ideas helped build, and the role each of us can play in shaping America’s next chapter.
We also encourage you to sign up for our “One Small Step” monthly toolkit, which provides you with activities meant to help you embrace a new American founding principle each month.
