Exactly a quarter of a millennium ago, the course of history changed for good. On a July afternoon, the Declaration of Independence, written by one Thomas Jefferson, was adopted by the Continental Congress of the newly created United States of America. This was not a creation that should’ve lasted. The USA was fighting for its independence against the British Empire, the premier economic and military power of the era. America’s forefathers were outgunned, outmanned, and outspent by the British. The torch of liberty, however, refused to be extinguished. Through General Washington’s brilliant leadership, the willingness of patriots to fight for the cause, and significant foreign aid, the USA snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. The once ragtag group of thirteen colonies had become a free nation, one which would follow its tradition of bringing tyrants to their knees for centuries to come.
The rest is a story we are all familiar with. Americans settled further and further west until reaching the Pacific Ocean. Our nation industrialized, living standards increased, cruel systems like slavery were eradicated as more and more people gained the right to participate in our democracy. Millions of people came from across the world to settle American fields and work in American factories, creating the largest economy ever seen in human history. Americans came to the rescue of republican democracy during World War 1 and 2, confronting and aiding in the destruction of decadent, autocratic abominations such as Imperial Japan, the German Reich, and Fascist Italy. By the end of these wars, America was at the forefront of technological progress, bringing the first humans in history to the moon, and developing the internet, the medium being used to read this article right now. During the Cold War, Americans confronted the Soviet Union, protecting the free West from its regime until it finally collapsed under its own weight. Thus always to tyrants.
Today, the United States stands as the most powerful, wealthy, and technologically advanced civilization ever seen in human history, one ultimately built off the sacrifices of the heroes of our nation. I feel like that is one fact that we modern Americans can never understand. It has been centuries since a large-scale conflict was fought on American core territory, and so, we are seemingly detached from the blood that was spilled all that time ago. Whether we’re grilling with our family and friends, participating in a parade, or watching a firework show, little thought is given to everything that happened to allow these things to even happen. My piece of advice? When you’re out celebrating the Fourth of July, understand why you’re able to do so. Remember the soldiers who, in the face of certain death, marched forward—and continue to march forward—to protect their homeland from those who wished to plunder and oppress it.
This independence day is special, because it shows just how far our country has come. It has weathered every single crisis that it has faced without sinking for 250 years, and it will continue to weather them for another 250. Just think of it. How many countries upon this planet have continuously survived 250 years without suffering from a coup, foreign subjugation, or total societal collapse? The number is ridiculously low.
We must also be grateful for the many advantages our nation has in the world. Providence has blessed Americans with some of the most resource-rich, geographically advantageous swathes of land on the planet. Our population centers are defended by two vast oceans to our east and west. Our fields are fertile and our rivers are lengthy, allowing America to sustain a vast population. It is close to 350 million as of now, but there is no reason as to why the USA could easily handle a population of more than 1 billion. It’s no surprise as to why so many Americans don’t have passports, given how many options one has for travel and settlement. Do you want to visit a desert? The woodlands? The prairies? Maybe even the tundra? America gives you options, ones that aren’t as vast anywhere else in the world.
Throughout our history, we have also had the power of assimilation and unity. America imports people from across the globe, currently some of the world’s top-notch workers, and turns them into Americans. It’s no mystery as to why South Brunswick’s population is dominated by first or second-generation immigrants, mainly from Asia. Despite the fact that many of us were not born here, and that South Brunswick’s population is so heavily “foreign,” it is not as if a purely Asian cultural enclave has been carved out in the middle of New Jersey. Us immigrants listen to American music, eat American food, and have a deeply American psyche. We share far more in common with other Americans than our “kin” in countries thousands of miles away. This is the power that America wields, one that is hard to replicate in the “blood-and-soil” societies of the Old World. Our country is a shining city on a hill which millions across the globe clamor to reach, and as more enter, more wealth is created, our population expands, and the stronger we become.
We are all part of this country’s story, and have the ability to steer it in whichever way we so choose. As time and technology progress, perhaps another generation of Americans will tame the harsh frontier of space, just as their ancestors tamed the harsh frontier of the Wild West. The Fourth of July is amazing, because it really is a day where we can all be proud to be Americans. Today, we can all celebrate jubilantly in the streets, commemorate those who have fallen in defense of the homeland, and hope for a future even brighter than today. Happy 250th birthday, America; may you last another 250 years!
