An annual reflection as a Jefferson Fellow.
On our 250th birthday, the ideals of our nation can endure within each of us. Nowhere is that more evident than in revisiting our founding document:
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.
It is easy to let cynicism take root, especially when considering our past and present contexts, but the challenge of rising to our better angels is one that we must embrace. At 250, The United States is the longest continuous constitutional democracy in the world, launching a revolution that governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed. As enshrined in our Constitution, “We the people” are the ones that “form a more perfect Union.” Being a part of this country demands our citizenship, our recognition that “consent of the governed” means that we engage enough to even be able to consent.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” — but only to the extent that we participate. It took the action of many brave patriots to achieve the milestones that were to be commemorated in our coinage this year: the Declaration (1776), the Constitution (1787-89), abolition (1863-65), women’s suffrage (1920), and the civil rights movement (1957-65). It is disheartening, then, that some of these achievements—the very expansions of the American experiment—have been excluded from current celebrations.
How do we proceed in the face of such a narrow understanding of American success? We try. We exercise our unalienable rights, including the freedom of speech I exercise here. The erosion of our democratic norms is alarming, but it is not a conclusion: it is a challenge. The American story relies on our capacity to improve, individually and collectively. Loving our nation does not mean ignoring our wrongs; it means doing something about them. It means striving for a more perfect union, lifting our voices in dialogue, and rising above soundbites and polarization to actively engage in our democracy.
That spirit of reconciliation echoes through our history. Two hundred years ago, on our nation’s 50th birthday, Founding Fathers John Adams and Thomas Jefferson passed within hours of each other. They had fierce disagreements about our young republic, campaigning against each other in 1796 and 1800. Then, in 1812, the two statesmen reconciled at the request of Abigail Adams, spending their final years writing letters that reflected on their shared hopes for the nation. Adams’s last words were “Jefferson still lives,” being unaware that Jefferson had passed hours earlier. It is inspiring that despite their disagreements, their friendship and national brotherhood took priority.
The original plans for America 250 held former Presidents Bush and Obama as co-chairs, echoing our Founders’ quest for unity. The Declaration began with “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.” Today, we face fierce debates over what it means to be an American. Yet beneath the noise, there is a profound, enduring agreement on what makes this nation remarkable: our public lands, our scientific innovations, our cultural contributions, and our relentless pursuit of opportunity. While we have many questions we must answer to ensure the next 250 years, the American Dream remains worth celebrating—not as a finished promise, but as a living experiment.