The United States of America will celebrate its 247th birthday on July 4, 2023.  To mark the occasion, many Americans will attend a parade, consume hot dogs and hamburgers, go camping or enjoy a day at the beach.  Others will attend a baseball game or watch fireworks.  And while the Fourth of July is certainly cause for celebration, it is also cause for reflection.  Why do we celebrate America?  Is she special?  If so, why?

Since the dawn of time, history has recorded the rise and fall of great civilizations.  Ancient Egypt was one of the earliest great cultures in history.  The Chinese, British, Greeks and Romans all experienced grand centuries of cultural, political and/or military dominance.  Throughout the Americas, many Indian tribes celebrated golden eras of prosperity and culture.  Each of these great civilizations added to the rich history that is the story of mankind.  So is America just another “great civilization“ that is, fundamentally, no different or better than those that preceded it?

America is unique in the annals of history because, unlike prior countries or empires, her citizens were not required to be of a certain ethnicity, race or creed.  America is the exception, not because of our size, military dominance, or economic power.  We are unique as a republic founded on values and ideals.  The historian Gordon S. Wood has written that “America became the first nation in the world to base its nationhood solely on enlightenment values.“  Many other nations are “birthright“ nations where one must belong to a certain group of people, or come from a common ancestry, history, custom, language, or religion.  Far from the birthright nation, Americans are bound by commitment to certain ideas and ideals.  In America, we promote liberty, education, personal initiative, and civic responsibility.  It is through these means that we can attain happiness.

The notion that a country could be founded upon a shared set of ideals was a radical notion in 1776.  Rather than enjoying selected freedoms doled out by a monarchy or military, America was different from the start.  In our Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers proclaimed to the truth that all peoples are endowed by our Creator with fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  

The high-minded ideals expressed in our founding documents, were not always matched in deed.  Slavery has been called America’s “original sin,” and many ethnic and religious groups have faced the ugly reality of intolerance.  None of this, however, condemns the great experiment that is America.  To her credit, America has adapted, over time, and has extended rights to those who were previously excluded.  It is why America has welcomed people from her earliest days to the present day.  People from every corner of the globe seek the freedom and opportunity which America presents.  What continues to bring so many to our shores is the promise of America - the promise of freedom, the opportunity for prosperity, and the ability to live one’s life without fealty to a divine ruler or supreme leader. 

America isn’t perfect – she never has been, nor will she ever be.  What she is, is the greatest example of self-government designed to adapt over time and extend freedom unlike any civilization the world has known.  So on July 4, let’s honor America’s past, celebrate her present and work to better her future. 

Joseph F. Frattone, IV is a Partner in the firm’s Philadelphia office.