Dr. Samuel B. Hoff is a George Washington Distinguished Professor Emeritus of history and political science at Delaware State University. He is also an honorary member of the Delaware State Society of the Cincinnati.
Commemorating anniversaries annually or by decade is a lot more common than highlighting an event that occurred two-and-a-half centuries ago. The July 4, 1776, approval of the Declaration of Independence was accomplished in the middle of a revolt during which success or failure were absolute: Either the Americans opposing continued British control would gain freedom, or they would be tried and executed as disloyal treasonists. That the former’s occurrence prevented the latter should neither minimize the risks taken nor the reward achieved. Whether assessed in its period or during this juncture in American history, the document, its message and its writers have stood the test of time just fine.
While the Continental military fought in the Revolution, the Declaration of Independence espoused revolutionary ideals: equality, consent as a basis for government legitimacy and limited government. These unique concepts were offered not as promises for the future but as requisite expectations for any generation. That the signers of the DOI and subsequent framers of American government fell short on the first two by current standards is obvious, but by enunciating the third point — that citizens should have the ability to alter any existing setup — they created the conditions for the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution and the amendments, which have expanded freedom, equality and suffrage.
Measured against other revolts across world history, the American Revolution shines as a triumphant tale, buttressed by a document that both justified the immediate reasons for separation, as well as expressed perpetual principles. Not the French Revolution in the 18th century nor the Indian Revolution of the 19th century nor the Russian Revolution in the 20th century — nor a boatload of other conflicts in between — finished what was started, often leading to the murder of millions of citizens. Since, the mimicking of the DOI’s words by others is simultaneously a testament and a compliment.
Without question, the process by which the Declaration of Independence was composed and confirmed furnishes guidance for subsequent generations. For instance, the compatriots at the Second Continental Congress disagreed on the direction of the conflict and even the DOI’s content but accomplished their mission with civility, dignity and respect. Of course, it took courage to sign the final version of the DOI, for which upholding honor was the paramount pledge.
In the contemporary political environment and with 20/20 hindsight, it is easy to lob criticism at the declaration’s denizens. For one, several recent books have alleged that the American patriots putting together the DOI were hopelessly addicted to alcohol and that it was more hindering than helpful to events. Before that, there was 1619 and the slavery debate. Go back further and find the view that the DOI’s writers and their heirs were desperately trying to maintain their economic class and advantage.
But not today. For once, reject the revisionism. Hold the wokewash of history. Let the purity of what happened on that hot Philadelphia day long ago sink in and recognize that we have always defined the American dream by the Declaration of Independence’s precepts: as something to pursue because we believe in it and because to us — as to American freedom’s framers — it is worth the price.
Maybe the United States will never be a perfect union, but the semiquincentennial of the Declaration of Independence reminds us of what set us on the path to greatness in the first place. America as exceptional? You got that right.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
