Happy Independence Day!

Today we celebrate America’s separation from British rule, formally ratified through the Declaration of Independence. It’s important to remember just how revolutionary this document was; both in laying out the ideals and principles of our nation’s new government and in justifying breaking off from the oppression of Great Britain.

It was the philosophical basis of a government that exercised power only by consent of the governed, which was truly a radical concept for this time! Shamelessly this did not include black Americans who were forced to live as slaves, owned by many political leaders of that time no less. But the sin of man is not a repudiation of our founding ideals, which eventually brought about the abolishment of slavery.

Frederick Douglass makes this point well in an impassioned speech called “What to the Slave is the 4th of July? After a biting biting critique of the hypocrisies of the holiday he ends with “I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope. While drawing encouragement from the Declaration of Independence, the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age.”

Most of human history to that point consisted of government ruling over its people with power always ceding to the wealthy and politically connected. The Declaration of Independence and its inspired creation, the Constitution, flipped this on its head and outlined the conditions of a free people whose rights and liberty are derived from God, not man. The founding fathers understood that for people to truly live well, the oppression of government must be tamed so the dignity and freedom of the human spirit can thrive.

So enjoy today’s festivities. Just don’t forget to share a toast in celebration of the freedoms we enjoy today because of the foresight and extreme sacrifices from those that came before us.

Cheers and Happy Independence Day!