Reflecting on America at 250
America has always been a fractious place. The United States was born out of a revolution sparked by cross-Atlantic tensions and conflict between the British rulers (King George III) and mostly wealthy colonial landowners (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, et al.) who had grown increasingly resentful of monarchial rule, particularly when the monarch imposed taxation without representation. July 4, 1776 was not the end of the fight, but rather, the rocket blast proclaiming independence that fueled the American Revolution and the creation of the United States of America.
But having triumphed over their English brothers and cousins, the newly empowered Americans also fought bitterly with each other, and the long-festering disputes over slavery and states’ rights erupted into a horrific Civil War that nearly extinguished the American experiment in the 1860’s. That immensely costly war ended slavery and set the young nation on a path to power, but the divisive forces simmered across the next century, erupting into violence at different intervals, and laying the foundation for our contemporary political and social ruptures.
As America observes the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we are rightfully proud of our nation’s triumphs, contributions to advanced civilization, and long role as a leader of the free world and model for the ideal democracy — to a point. It does not diminish our rightful pride in America’s achievements to express, as well, profound concern about the future of this democracy as we examine the worrisome signs and symbols of decay of our ideals and betrayal of our founding values at this moment in our history.
The Founders of this nation had long and intense debates about the power of the executive versus the legislature and courts. While some clearly favored a more monarchial structure, the “no kings!” contingent prevailed and the Constitution enacted in 1789 clearly called for a balance of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The executive was never supposed to be an all-powerful ruler, but rather, a servant to the needs of governance with powers tempered by the actions of Congress and courts.
250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the greatest danger to the future of democracy in the United States of America is the rise of a clearly authoritarian leader, someone who proudly proclaimed that he would be a “dictator on Day One” of his second term, and he is working hard and fast to fulfill that promise. The current president is asserting an unprecedented level of power with few guardrails — Congress is inert, the Supreme Court has conceded much of what he has asked for (with a few notable exceptions, see tariffs and birthright citizenship), and other courts are struggling to keep up with the tsunami of lawsuits his actions have prompted. From the War on Iran, to unleashing ICE agents and National Guard troops to cities across this nation, to squeezing huge concessions from universities and law firms and media companies, to engaging in outrageous acts of retaliation against his political opponents, to making a mess of the White House and other national monuments (see: reflecting pool) with his own decorations and weird notions of reconstruction, the current president has unleashed a frenzy of destructive actions that seek to force nations, institutions and people to bow to his will and whims. The consequences will shape this nation, for better or worse, for generations.
On this Independence Day, as we celebrate all that America has meant for the last 250 years, Americans should be mindful of our responsibility to ensure a vibrant future for this nation. America will not long survive if we continue to concede power to an authoritarian president whose goal is to bend everyone to his singular will. We must reassert the idea of “We, the People” as the true governors of our nation. We can start by reading and reflecting on what our founding document — the Declaration of Independence — calls us to do at this moment in our history.
In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, I present for your serious reading and reflection the text of the Declaration of Independence:
In Congress, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
