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Where do we go from here
While the recent 250th anniversary of the American colonists declaring independence from England creates a unique moment to reflect on American history, it feels like an appropriate time to also look forward and consider “where do we go from here.”
The development of the United States over the last 250 years has transformed humankind’s understanding of democracy and the power that a democratic society can achieve. It has embodied Francis Fukuyama’s teleological view of history: that we are nearing the fulfillment of a democratic human destiny that started in Ancient Greece.
Declaration of Independence, John Trumbull, 1819 — U.S. Capitol Rotunda
Pericles’ Funeral Oration, Philipp Foltz, 1852 — the Athenian assembly, birthplace of democracy
Yet, as Fukuyama has clarified in recent years, democracy is not a fixed destination. It is a living thing that requires continuous attention, defense and improvement in order to keep fulfilling its theoretical promise. And, today, we find America confronting that reality. The United States is exceptional, but in need of attention. It faces a myriad of challenges, some similar to various periods in its past, but others new and not seen before.
“A republic, if you can keep it.”
Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, Howard Chandler Christy, 1940 — U.S. Capitol
Between the 250th and the 300th anniversary of independence in 2076, Americans will be called upon to claim their rights and responsibilities as citizens of their exceptional country and address these issues: to work hard to “keep” their republic.
We at AmericaAt300.org will be here to support, providing thoughts, reflections and context to many issues that these new, modern-day American patriots will be facing.