The quarter-millennial celebration of the United States of America should remind us that the Declaration of Independence was one of the most profound political documents ever written. The Declaration, along with the Constitution and The Federalist, was, of course, the handiwork of America’s founders. In terms of theoretical sophistication (an unparalleled comprehension of the intricacies of human nature) and real-life courageous statesmanship (“we mutually pledge . . . our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor”), our founders rank as one of—no, make that the—greatest political leadership class in world history, surpassing any political elite past or present from any nation or political community of any type.
I challenge today’s critics of the founders to name a political leadership class anywhere on earth superior or even equal to our founders: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, Franklin, Jay, Henry, Mason, Wilson, Dickinson, Witherspoon, Carroll, Rodney, Hancock, and others. As citizens of the republic that they created, a constitutional republic that has provided more opportunity, freedom, and prosperity to more people than any other nation, our debt to the founders is enormous.
In our 250th anniversary year, as bad faith actors defame the founders and the founding, our task, our duty, is to defend their honor and explain to future generations of Americans and the world at large their momentous accomplishments.