The Declaration of Independence remains America’s lodestar, 250 years on
If you are a young person in America today, it is easy to become disillusioned. From a national debt exceeding $38 trillion to homeownership drifting further out of reach for my generation, many young Americans feel betrayed. But this sense of betrayal stems from the same problem that drove Americans to revolt 250 years ago: a widening disconnect between the people and their government. The American Revolution is not a typical revolution; in many ways, it was fought to preserve rather than to overthrow. The revolutionary motives of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and the other founders are well documented. But the motivations of ordinary colonists, those who took up arms against their country and sometimes even their neighbors, are far less frequently explored.
Historians have often emphasized abstract causes of the Revolution, pointing to Enlightenment ideals, broad notions of equality, and the social contract as the driving forces behind colonial resistance—largely because these motives were influential among the intellectual class for whom we have the strongest documentation. This framing has deeply shaped primary education and helped elevate the idea that the American Revolution resembled the French or Russian Revolutions, as if the average colonist had enlisted in an ideological crusade. But this was not the case. Ordinary colonists fought to preserve their centuries-old tradition of self-government, both within the colonies and as British subjects.
This motivation is summed up perfectly by Levi Preston, an officer who was asked about his determination to fight in Lexington and Concord. He said: “What we meant in going for those Redcoats was this: we always had governed ourselves, and we always meant to govern ourselves. They didn’t mean we should.”
The motive was to preserve an inherited tradition of self-government. In many ways, this motive is even more remarkable than the usual “revolutionary ideals.” The idea of a people fighting for such a simple yet profound cause is striking. Ultimately, that cause demanded independence, ensuring that the people would always and forever determine the operations, government, and direction of their nation.
Young people should look to the Declaration of Independence for this cause, a document that cites a “long train of abuses and usurpations” as the driving force behind the Revolution.
Many young people wrongly see our founding as a fruit turned rotten, as something completely detached from their own American experience. This is not only untrue but the result of persistent misconceptions about the Revolution. The common cause endures: the fight for self-determination is everlasting. There will always be forces seeking to usurp the power of the American people to govern themselves.
The most important responsibility in our nation is that the young people take up the mantle of our founders, both Thomas Jefferson and the militiamen.
My generation needs to heed the words of the aforementioned Jefferson: “I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves.” That is not simply an endorsement; it is a sacred responsibility to uphold the centuries-old tradition of self-government.
Generation Z has a unique societal conscience; my generation is very attuned to concerns about the future of our nation. However, that societal consciousness lacks grounding. The issue with Generation Z is that they see our nation as one founded on revolutionary motives. The most popular piece of media about the American Revolution is the musical Hamilton, which obfuscates self-government entirely. Young people do not have a concrete grasp of what the revolution was and why it occurred. A misunderstanding of our nation’s founding can turn my generation’s societal consciousness into a negative attribute. Forward thinking is positive, but one must understand where and why our nation was founded to chart a positive path forward.
Not only does my generation have a responsibility to stay informed and civically engaged, but we also have a responsibility to understand why our country declared independence 250 years ago. That understanding is the essence of Americanism.
Drew DiMeglio is vice chair of the North Carolina Teenage Republicans and a frequent opinion contributor to the Carolina Journal.
