A Time to Celebrate and Reflect
Dr. Robert Bunch
Metcalfe County High School History Teacher
Happy 250th Birthday to the United States of America! The Fourth of July every year is a moment of celebration and a time to reflect on the freedom and liberty our nation was built upon. However, this year is notably different, because it is the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. As we get ready to celebrate this special occasion, let’s take the time to look back at what we’ve accomplished as a nation, and to look forward to what the United States can be if we put our minds to it.
As the United States History teacher at Metcalfe County High School, I believe that an unambivalent appreciation for American history and an informed patriotism is a healthy norm for all students. And by students, I mean everyone that is willing to learn, regardless of their age, and regardless of if they are still in school. The United States of America was founded by a group of ingenious, courageous men that risked everything following the summer of 1776. They risked, as we find in the Declaration of Independence, their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to ensure that America could be the place of freedom and opportunity for anyone that dared to strive for a better life. That means something. Anyone willing to risk their life for the betterment of others is a textbook definition of heroic. But our Founders went even further.
By rebelling against Great Britain, they knew that, had they lost, their families would be forever shunned as the relatives of traitors and any fortune that they may have had at the time would be confiscated. The Founders also knew that, if they were unsuccessful, their places in history would be forever tarnished. We would not learn about the “American Revolution,” but the “Rebellion of 1776.” We would not say, “God Bless America,” we would be saying “God Save the King.” Naturally, by the Grace of God, our Founders were successful. Were they perfect men? Of course not. But we stand on the shoulders of giants. They were revolutionary not only in their politics but in their philosophies as well. And look at what they gave us: a nation with unprecedented freedom and an exceptional place in the world today.
What should we do with this great gift, 250 years later? We can celebrate the occasion (as we certainly will), but it won’t mean much if we don’t institute and pass on what it means to be an American. More and more, we often hear about how the younger generations do not seem to fully understand and appreciate what America is about. Many times, I hear it in the classroom in the form of, “When will I use this information again in the real world?” We must realize, especially in these difficult times, that the most important reason to learn American history is precisely because if we don’t learn history, we forget who we are. That is the practical application of history: to remember who we are.
America is exceptional. We are the foremost purveyors of freedom, liberty, democracy, and all of the values of Western Civilization. We have faced every challenge in the past 250 years head-on and emerged greater than before. These victories were the result of the courage and sacrifice of our servicemembers, the moral fiber and resolve of the American people, and the cultural and scientific enrichments made possible only by guaranteed freedoms unseen in the rest of the world. We are the one nation under God that so many strive to come to because they want to be a part of this great experiment. All that we are is worth refining through the process of civilized debate and compromise. And all that we shall be depends on remembering where we’ve come from.
Americans are free by birthright, but we have a responsibility by birthright, as well. We must pass down what it means to be an American. We must show the next generation what it means to struggle with a purpose and to commit themselves to the civic ritual of leaving things better than when they found it. That means reaching across the aisle and embracing each other as fellow Americans again. That means no longer compartmentalizing history as a collection of stories that one learns and never thinks about again. And, perhaps most importantly of all, that means taking up the vision our Founders left us with and preserving it for generations to come. When we broke away from Great Britain 250 years ago, we did so unanimously. Let’s make the choice to be unanimous once again and preserve this great experiment another 250 years to come.
Happy 250th, America!
