HAPPY 250TH BIRTHDAY, AMERICA

This is a mistake, right?

The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 is next year. Of course that is true, but a good argument can be made that it all really starte

d about a year before.

By 1775, the relationship between the thirteen colonies and Britain was at best strained and in many places, including my home state of Virginia, there was open rebellion. Battles had been fought between colonial militia and the British Army. On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress created an Army. That act was hugely significant. You can make the argument that in doing so, the colonies effectively declared themselves to be independent of the British Empire – rhetoric about reconciliation notwithstanding.

In many regards, the Declaration of Independence which came a year later simply confirmed the “facts on the ground” (as modern pundits might put it).

But the Declaration is much more than that. In modern biz-speak terms, it is our nation’s mission statement. And what a radical one it was – and still is.

We outright rejected the then almost universal assumption that government legitimacy was derived from a small group of people – “royals” – who by long tradition and divine right were entitled to rule over the people. We rejected the notion that some people were inherently more important than others.

Instead, we declared “all men are created equal.” They are “endowed by their Creator” with “unalienable” rights. Governments derive their power “from the consent of the governed.”

The “Divine Right” to rule lay with the people, not a King or aristocracy.

The bold language of our Declaration is powerful. Those words and ideas have changed the world.

Just words, you might say. The principal author, Thomas Jefferson, was a slave holder. He remained one until he died fifty years to the day after the Declaration was signed. Many others were too. The economic interests of the Founders were a consideration.

Humans are flawed and fallen creatures. That was just as true 250 years ago as it is today. Yet the failings of men like Jefferson don’t make their stated aspirations any less valid.

Now, almost two and a half centuries later, have we lived up to the bold language of the Declaration?

No, not fully.

Have we consistently moved in the direction of freedom and equality?

Yes, in large part.

Not surprisingly, the progression has not always been a straight line.

Let’s get back to my initial point about 1775. When that Second Continental Congress embraced confrontation with Britain, they knew they were embarking on a new and risky course. For all their privilege and self-interest – and they certainly were the privileged class of the time - they knew they were in the process of trying to create a different society, a better one. The Declaration of Independence a year later crystalized their intent.

The goals of that rebellion 250 years ago and the ideals of the Declaration are still noble aspirations. The ideas of those flawed men of 1775 and 1776 are so much greater than their individual lives. They gave us a gift for which we should be forever grateful