As a child, I grew up with the idea that freedom was the universal ideal. I instinctively knew that America was special among all the nations of the earth because it was the only one that didn’t ask whether man was fit for freedom, but instead recognized that nothing but freedom was fit for man. I grew up with a love for America and its symbols: the flag, the Pledge of Allegiance, and Independence Day.
As an adult, I began a deeper study into how the United States of America began and what those symbols meant. I realized that America was founded differently than any other country, almost without exception. Most countries are formed through warfare, language, custom, or geographical convenience. This new nation was founded on ideas. What ideas? Hard work? Duty to God? Honesty? Democracy? No. These are not ideas that are unique to the American Spirit.
Thomas Jefferson, in his later years, described the Declaration of Independence as “intended to be an expression of the American mind.”1 He wanted it to convey, not new ideas, but the ideas that already made up the “harmonizing sentiments of the day.” What sentiments were those?
In a few short phrases, Jefferson described the nature of man, the requirements for his life and happiness, and the purpose of government. Individuals exist to live by their own judgment and pursue their own happiness. To do so, they must be kept free from the force of others who would interfere. Therefore, men must recognize and protect their rights to life, liberty, and property in the pursuit of their happiness. It is to protect these rights, that men combine together and establish proper and moral governments. In short, the essence of the American Spirit is the concept of individual rights. George Washington expressed this idea in 1786, prior to the Constitutional Convention, saying, “Let us have [a government] by which our lives, liberties, and properties will be secured.”2
The recognition of the individual as sovereign of himself, and of his rights as a human being, led directly to the astounding explosion of prosperity, ingenuity, and standard of living that spread across the planet almost from the day that America declared its independence.
As a child, I believed that everyone wanted freedom, and I was grateful to live in the land of freedom. As an adult, however, I see that while everyone wants freedom for themselves, few are willing to live in a society that values freedom. It is the original American spirit that will help this country and all others regain the climb to greater heights of happiness and prosperity. We must ask ourselves and our government, “Is man free?” The answer we must demand is a resounding, “Yes!”
