An America 250th Journal
Semiquincentennial Perspectives
In 1776, the Declaration of Independence launched the nation with a philosophy of self-governance: that all people possess certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that government derives its power from the people; and that the people can shape or change their government to better secure those rights.
The Declaration was as imperfect as any document must be, limited by its time. Yet, its ideals and contradictions continue to shape modern civic life in America.
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the nation鈥檚 founding, the Academy is sharing the work of community and Academy members grappling with the Declaration鈥檚 principles today鈥攐ne way to tell our nation鈥檚 story as part of the Academy鈥檚 work to strengthen democracy.
Many people fought to ensure the Declaration of Independence鈥檚 ideals applied to every American. Now pursuing liberty and pushing for a life free from government overreach is, in theory, anybody鈥檚 game. Including Donal Gooch's.
For many Chinese dissidents, the blueprint drawn by the US鈥檚 founding fathers鈥攄espite current democratic backsliding鈥攔emains a beacon and reference point for changes they want to see in their home country.
For nearly 400 years, Marblehead had been governed by town meeting. But citizens wondered if a heated housing debate would break this centuries-old system鈥攐r if Marblehead would show that the American experiment with democracy can still work.
Woodruff celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration through a six-episode audio series that covers key milestones in American history. She was a member of the Academy commission that issued the Our Common Purpose report.
On the eve of the nation鈥檚 250th anniversary, their gathering embodies the principles of the Declaration of Independence about working together across differences to find common ground鈥攊n this case, quite literally.
Levin edits a series of essays from the American Enterprise Institute that unpack issues central to the country's founding. He was a member of the Academy commission that issued the Our Common Purpose report.
In the 250th year of the Declaration of Independence, institutions and communities across America are re-examining who the founding narrative included and who it left out. In Tallahassee, preserving Black history often falls to local residents who refuse to let the record be lost or misremembered.
After decades organized around fossil fuel extraction, Alaska is having the kind of argument societies tend to have when the foundations of an old economic order start to wobble. Who controls a territory's resources鈥攁nd who bears the costs of their extraction鈥攕tands at the core of political power.
Allen explores Charles Lennox, the Third Duke of Richmond, who aligned with English radicals, including Thomas Paine, to challenge the crown and help lay the groundwork for the American Revolution. She cochaired the Academy commission that issued the Our Common Purpose report.
People in one Tennessee community are making good on the Declaration鈥檚 promise that they can pursue their own happiness, however they see fit. Every time they farm, these Tennesseans demonstrate that the American pursuit of happiness often blooms when neighbors pursue a shared vision.
The Academy was founded in 1780 to help a young nation navigate its greatest challenges by working across disciplines and divides to advance the common good. Learn more about the history of Academy members and work, and recent nonpartisan initiatives to strengthen democracy.