America’s 250th Anniversary, Part Five — Reflections on America’s 250th Anniversary

Editor's note: This is the fifth in a five-part series of essays on American history by Uyless Black. 

The 250th anniversary of America’s founding cannot mask its less glorious experiences of earlier years. The legacies of slavery and ethnic cleansing of Native Americans will never go away. Even though these realities reflect human nature and are not restricted to the United States, they should not be forgotten.

But on this day, July 4, 2026, let us place them in the background. Let’s reflect on what an extraordinary experiment America has been throughout the history of the world.

A Few Eating Cake, Many Eating Bread ... if Lucky

Since recorded time, practically all societies had a few dictating the fate and well-being of many. Ordinary people were involuntary vassals of a privileged minority.

Consider humans’ past, going back to the times before Christ was born. A few ancient civilizations allowed some of its citizens limited choices, but very limited. Some practiced a limited democracy with a few privileged citizens exercising the right to choose their leaders.

But until the enlightenment came along in the late 1600s, democracies and freedom of the individual did not exist. Going against the tides of time and history, America opened the door to self-determination, free choice, freedom, and democracies.

According to the latest Democracy Index, only 25 countries are classified as full democracies.¹ America is rated as a democracy, but with flaws. The influence of lobbyists’ big money, an ideologically stalemated Congress, and gerrymandering have undermined the country’s democratic foundations.

Nonetheless, the countries cited in the Democracy Index are the only nations since the birth of Christ to embrace a full democracy. One in which all citizens can choose who governs their lives. America’s democratic rule of law, with its Declaration of Independence and Constitution, has served as a model for these countries to emulate and govern themselves.

On this day, let us citizens of this country be thankful America’s founders cast aside governance that valued rulers first and citizens second. Let us be grateful for America’s bountiful fruit of freedom.

Let us celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. After centuries of subjugation throughout the world, we Americans, and many others, have the freedom to live our lives as we choose.

Freedom is to be cherished. We humans have not had it for most of our time on earth.

¹ https://www.bing.com /search?q=which+countries+exercise+a+full+democracy&qs=GS&pq=which+countries