Why Celebrate the Fourth of July?
America’s first contested presidential candidates, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, advocated for the earliest annual Fourth of July celebrations. They believed that people of all political views should celebrate the United States’ creation as a momentous historical turning point.
Jefferson asserted republican reasons for celebrating, saying, “For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights and an undiminished devotion to them.”
Adams’ more nationalist views were reflected in his statement that Independence Day “ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward furthermore.” Adams adds, “Posterity! You will never know how much the present Generation costs to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make good use of it.”
Despite the American Revolution being a dramatic, democratically inspired inflection point, many people today do not enthusiastically observe the holiday as recommended by Adams and Jefferson. Many cite the shortcomings of the Declaration of Independence as reasons to downplay the holiday, noting that the “all men are created equal” line did not include non-white people or women.
While the flaws of the Revolutionary Era society are undeniable, three critical founding legacies form a beneficial political and societal foundation. First, while the Continental Congress argued over various issues, they agreed on a common goal – independence – illustrating that partisan compromises are vital to political cultures of continual improvement. Second, the founding generation established a flexible political system that allowed changes and advancements in implementing the founding ideals. Lastly, President George Washington, in his farewell address, cautioned the nation against excessive division due to bickering party politics and emphasized the importance of individual agency. Despite not achieving constitutional equality, the Declaration of Independence united a divided population to pursue a pioneering democracy and republican government.
Over the past 248 years, Americans have seized opportunities from the revolutionary generation to build a more democratic and equitable society. Successive generations have achieved significant milestones, including abolishing slavery, expanding voting rights, and advancing women's and minority rights.
However, progress has faced challenges of slow headway and periodic setbacks. Instances like Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal, the Jim Crow laws of the Reconstruction Era, and FDR’s incarceration of Japanese Americans have marked painful regressions in our quest for political equality. These events remind us that expanding and restricting political and societal rights are ongoing processes that need constant vigilance and investment.
On the Fourth of July, we not only celebrate the opportunities bequeathed to us by the creation of the United States but also the improvements made by previous generations. As part of this celebration, we should reflect on our role as the current generation of improvers. We have inherited an incredible platform and must use it to nurture and expand citizen rights and equality of opportunity.
To do so, we must confront several vital questions today. Can we find common ground to achieve significant improvements? Can we rise above the partisan divide that Washington warned about? Can we seize the founding opportunity passed down to us? Can we create another significant inflection point, just as our founders did almost two hundred and fifty years ago?
The opportunity to answer these questions is before us. As the next generation of progress-makers, we hold the key to shaping the future. We must find ways to coalesce and compromise, as did Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, despite different views on how to lead the country. Based upon mutual respect and openness, the duo concluded after their presidencies that they held many common beliefs and respectfully agreed to discuss and debate differences without getting caught up in partisan bickering. As Adams and Jefferson practiced civil discourse, we must not let politicians and parties divide us today.
There is an opportunity to create another inflection point so that two hundred and fifty years from now, people will look back on our achievements with the same esteem as we hold our founding society. The responsibility lies with us, the current generation, to continue the journey towards a more politically equitable society.
America’s first contested presidential candidates, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, advocated for the earliest annual Fourth of July celebrations. They believed that people of all political views should celebrate the United States’ creation as a momentous historical turning point.
Jefferson asserted republican reasons for celebrating, saying, “For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights and an undiminished devotion to them.”
Adams’ more nationalist views were reflected in his statement that Independence Day “ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward furthermore.” Adams adds, “Posterity! You will never know how much the present Generation costs to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make good use of it.”
Despite the American Revolution being a dramatic, democratically inspired inflection point, many people today do not enthusiastically observe the holiday as recommended by Adams and Jefferson. Many cite the shortcomings of the Declaration of Independence as reasons to downplay the holiday, noting that the “all men are created equal” line did not include non-white people or women.
While the flaws of the Revolutionary Era society are undeniable, three critical founding legacies form a beneficial political and societal foundation. First, while the Continental Congress argued over various issues, they agreed on a common goal – independence – illustrating that partisan compromises are vital to political cultures of continual improvement. Second, the founding generation established a flexible political system that allowed changes and advancements in implementing the founding ideals. Lastly, President George Washington, in his farewell address, cautioned the nation against excessive division due to bickering party politics and emphasized the importance of individual agency. Despite not achieving constitutional equality, the Declaration of Independence united a divided population to pursue a pioneering democracy and republican government.
Over the past 248 years, Americans have seized opportunities from the revolutionary generation to build a more democratic and equitable society. Successive generations have achieved significant milestones, including abolishing slavery, expanding voting rights, and advancing women's and minority rights.
However, progress has faced challenges of slow headway and periodic setbacks. Instances like Andrew Jackson’s Indian Removal, the Jim Crow laws of the Reconstruction Era, and FDR’s incarceration of Japanese Americans have marked painful regressions in our quest for political equality. These events remind us that expanding and restricting political and societal rights are ongoing processes that need constant vigilance and investment.
On the Fourth of July, we not only celebrate the opportunities bequeathed to us by the creation of the United States but also the improvements made by previous generations. As part of this celebration, we should reflect on our role as the current generation of improvers. We have inherited an incredible platform and must use it to nurture and expand citizen rights and equality of opportunity.
To do so, we must confront several vital questions today. Can we find common ground to achieve significant improvements? Can we rise above the partisan divide that Washington warned about? Can we seize the founding opportunity passed down to us? Can we create another significant inflection point, just as our founders did almost two hundred and fifty years ago?
The opportunity to answer these questions is before us. As the next generation of progress-makers, we hold the key to shaping the future. We must find ways to coalesce and compromise, as did Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, despite different views on how to lead the country. Based upon mutual respect and openness, the duo concluded after their presidencies that they held many common beliefs and respectfully agreed to discuss and debate differences without getting caught up in partisan bickering. As Adams and Jefferson practiced civil discourse, we must not let politicians and parties divide us today.
There is an opportunity to create another inflection point so that two hundred and fifty years from now, people will look back on our achievements with the same esteem as we hold our founding society. The responsibility lies with us, the current generation, to continue the journey towards a more politically equitable society.
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