The Unwinnable War America's Founding Fathers Fought And Won Changed Human History Forever

Two 100 and forty-nine years ago, 56 men met successful nan Pennsylvania State House successful Philadelphia to perpetrate treason against nan astir powerful empire connected Earth. 

Representing 13 colonies of that empire, these men – a operation of landowners, entrepreneurs, politicians and others – had go enamored pinch a caller group of ideas flowing from enlightenment thinkers and Christian teaching. Those convictions led them to commencement a warfare nary sane personification believed they could win.

Remember what authorities looked for illustration backmost then. We now unrecorded successful nan world those 56 men created – a world successful which moreover dictatorships for illustration North Korea cloak themselves successful nan connection of "republic." 

Detail of John Trumbull's painting, "Declaration of Independence," which depicts nan five-man drafting committee of nan Declaration presenting their activity to nan Congress. ("Declaration of Independence" - item of nan coating by John Trumbell)

But successful 1776, freedom, equality and self-governance were nascent concepts espoused by philosophers and adopted only incompletely successful a fewer mini enclaves. The immense mostly of countries successful nan world were hereditary monarchies and empires nether which adjacent authorities and individual liberty were not contemplated. The Founders’ conflict seemed incomprehensible.

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In launching it, nan Second Continental Congress mostly tasked 1 man – Thomas Jefferson – pinch drafting nan archive that would articulate their imagination for humanity and this caller state and reshape history.

Imagine really he must person felt. Jefferson secluded himself from June 11 to June 28 successful a rented location connected Market Street to draught nan document. He was 33 years aged astatine nan time. In isolation successful that rented townhome he drafted what I deliberation is 1 of nan astir beautiful passages successful history:

We clasp these truths to beryllium self-evident, that each men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator pinch definite unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and nan pursuit of Happiness.

The Second Continental Congress mostly tasked 1 man – Thomas Jefferson – pinch drafting nan archive that would articulate their imagination for humanity and this caller state and reshape history.

Read it again. Read it arsenic if you were surviving nether a Spanish colony successful South America aliases nether nan robust fist of nan Qing dynasty successful China. Read it arsenic if you were a mediocre tenant husbandman nether nan oppressive norm of King George successful Virginia aliases an enslaved personification successful Georgia (whose state nether nan principles of nan Declaration was still decades away). 

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Read it arsenic if you grew up successful a strategy that assumed you were worthy little than your neighbour by kindness of your societal station, and nether which your early was constricted by nan circumstances of your birth.

The Declaration was, successful fact, a "revolutionary" connection articulating nan ideological and actual ground for a coup against empire. But spiritually, it was much important than that. 

It was a revolution against history. It was a gyration against nan thought that immoderate men (and women) are worthy much than others. It was a gyration for nan thought of dignity, quality rights, and equality earlier law.

American colonists toppled a statue of King George III connected Bowling Green successful Lower Manhattan connected July 9, 1776. (William Walcutt (1819-1895). Painted 1857)

And erstwhile Jefferson submitted his archive to nan Congress, and those 56 men signed it and shipped it disconnected to King George and to others rulers astir nan world, they ignited a warfare successful nan America colonies that would go a centuries-long warfare to toggle shape nan globe from tyranny to liberty.

READ: THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

War they got. Five of nan signers were captured, tortured and killed. Nine died from wounds aliases hardships fighting successful nan war. All were impacted – raked by violence, their homes and spot ravaged, their children thrust into nan unit they created. They starved. They mislaid battles.

They must person wondered if it was worthy it – these ideals that had caused them to plunge a federation into violence. And then, unexpectedly, they won.

In creating America, those Founding Fathers reshaped history. We now unrecorded successful a world in which astir half of countries are democracies. The operation of governmental freedom, free markets and nan technological invention unleashed by those systems has lifted billions of group retired of poorness – creating a world much than 100 times richer than nan 1 that existed astatine nan clip of nan Declaration of Independence. 

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The ascendant ideology now globally is nan 1 articulated successful nan Declaration. And nan gyration successful America has go a gyration successful quality history.

This play successful nan United States we celebrate Independence Day. We observe 56 men who risked everything. But we besides solemnly bespeak connected nan complaint of nan Declaration and its authors.

All group are created equal. We are each endowed by our Creator pinch inalienable rights. Each of america deserves life, liberty, and nan expertise to prosecute our ain unsocial paths to flourishing. But those inalienable authorities are not guaranteed. As our forebears, we are called to clasp and conflict for them. 

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Abraham Lincoln erstwhile noted that awesome men "thirst and pain for distinction" and will person it, "whether astatine nan disbursal of emancipating slaves, aliases enslaving free men." And astir nan world nan powers that reason liberty, dignity and opportunity conflict ceaselessly to predominate others.

May we, connected this Independence Day, conflict back. May we person nan audacity and condemnation to reason nan enemies of liberty and to proceed to conflict for nan committedness of nan Declaration and America’s belief foundation. May we do truthful retired of emotion – for our neighbors and for nan blessings of nan Creator. And whitethorn we summation courageousness from nan illustration of those 56 men, their hundreds of thousands of compatriots, and nan unwinnable warfare they won. Happy Independence Day.

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