Should We Be Celebrating the Founders?
Independence Day & the Sins and Virtues of Our Fathers
As Independence Day approaches, many in our country face questions about the legitimacy of our country's founding. Should we celebrate the founders and their vision for the United States this Fourth of July? Or should we condemn them for being slaveholders?

The answers are not straightforward and will not be resolved by toppling statues or misrepresenting the spirit and purpose of the founding. We cannot deny that the founders were flawed human beings. Many of the founders did, indeed, hold slaves. In addition, women were denied political representation and it was several years before the Constitution "remembered the ladies." ([link removed])

These flaws are most puzzling since they contradict the founders' basic belief ([link removed]) , "that all men are created equal," and are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

All things said, our founders, while imperfect, built a framework of government that promises freedom to all citizens, regardless of race or gender. Their vision for our country led to the expansion of freedom, and we can look back to that vision if we seek to undermine tyranny where it still exists.

In order to limit and eventually demolish slavery, Abraham Lincoln looked back to the Declaration of Independence and other deeds of the founders. As he notes in his Cooper Union Address ([link removed]) , at least 20 of the original 39 signers of the Constitution (including George Washington and James Madison) favored enforcement of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 ([link removed]) - a law forbidding slavery in the governance of the developing Northwest Territory.

In the end, the founders failed to abolish or even stop the expansion of slavery (as many of them intended). It was only by looking back to the Declaration of Independence ([link removed]) that Abraham Lincoln and the framers of the Civil War Amendments were eventually able to reconcile the Constitution with principles of right.

"It was not the mere matter of the separation of the colonies from the mother land; but something in that Declaration giving liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but hope to the world for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weights should be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance. This is the sentiment embodied in that Declaration of Independence."
—Abraham Lincoln, Speech at Independence Hall, February 22, 1861 ([link removed])
As our country struggles with conflict this Independence Day, let us remember that we must learn from our past, to seek resources for liberty within it, not destroy it.
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History can always teach us something about the present, but only if it remains a priority. Without knowledge of our predecessors' struggles, we have no basis to make important decisions about our country's future.

JMC supports those teachers who are championing education in America's history and its founding principles. Our growing network of more than 900 dedicated professors are making a difference on hundreds of campuses across the country. So far, they have taught more than one million students. Will you help us reach more?

Click here to help preserve our founding principles and history ([link removed])

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Happy Independence Day from the JMC!
Independence Day is this Saturday, July 4. This year, many of us are unable to celebrate our independence in the usual way. Although our traditional celebrations are hindered by the pandemic, our sentiment and love for our country remain the same.

As part of your recognition of Independence Day, visit our JMC Discovery Page ([link removed]) on the Declaration of Independence and the Birth of America. The collection of resources ([link removed]) includes videos, articles, and commentary from our fellows and faculty partners on the Declaration of Independence ([link removed]) and the ways it has contributed to our nation's political identity.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful July 4th holiday!
Learn more about the Declaration of Independence and the birth of America on our Discovery Page >> ([link removed])
About the Jack Miller Center

The Jack Miller Center is a 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission to reinvigorate education in America's founding principles and history. We work to advance the teaching and study of America's history, its political and economic institutions, and the central principles, ideas and issues arising from the American and Western traditions—all of which continue to animate our national life.

We support professors and educators through programs, resources, fellowships and more to help them teach our nation's students.

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