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“To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.” Nine words that turned the usual relationship between people and government on its head. And it’s a principle that’s at the heart of the American experiment. People are born with certain rights. Government exists to protect them. The Declaration of Independence placed the individual first and […]

For generations, America has been regarded as the Land of Opportunity. Our Declaration of Independence recognizes our rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” While the Declaration doesn’t guarantee a good life, those rights give people the freedom to shape their own destiny. They create space to innovate, build, and work hard to […]

The Declaration of Independence is famous for declaring our rights. It’s just as remarkable for what it teaches us about using them. Before declaring independence, the Founders wrote that “a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.” They had already decided to […]

Most people think of the Declaration of Independence only as the document that announced America’s independence. It did that, but it also did something else just as important. It started a history-changing conversation that we’re still having today. The Declaration is an argument meant to be read, discussed, and remembered. The founders explained why leaving […]

It’s easy to look at the challenges America is facing and ask whether Washington is doing enough. But as America approaches its 250th anniversary, there’s another question worth asking: Are we doing our job as citizens? Are we doing our part to live up to the revolutionary idea of self-government that our founders wrote into […]

“We hold these truths to be self-evident …” You probably know the rest of this sentence by heart. Generations of Americans have read, repeated, and reflected on those words since the founders penned them in the summer of 1776. Few documents have changed the course of history as much as the Declaration of Independence. But […]

Before July Fourth became an American holiday, it was a revolutionary political statement, codified in the Declaration of Independence. This founding document gave voice to a bold idea: that our rights do not come from kings, politicians, or government, and that every person has dignity and value. Nearly 250 years later, those ideas still shape […]

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 […]

As the sun set over the St. Johns River last week, hundreds of Floridians gathered on the pier beside the USS Orleck Naval Museum to remember what Memorial Day is really about. Hosted by Americans for Prosperity, The LIBRE Initiative, and Concerned Veterans for America, the “Last Full Measure of Devotion” event brought together veterans, […]