This year marks a major milestone in our history – our 250th birthday officially known as our “semi-quincentennial.” This obviously is a once in a lifetime event which pays tribute to our nation, which despite its flaws continues to serve as the leader of the free world. When the Colonies declared their independence from then the most powerful nation in world – Great Brittian – the chances of forming a new nation were minuscule at best. Had it not been for the nexus of three factors: George Washington, Divine intervention, and the influence of sea power we would not be the nation we are today.
George Washington – not a perfect military leader by any means and his mistakes were many but the right man at the right time in our history. Like Dwight Eisenhower, he may have not had the battlefield brilliance and aggressiveness of a George Patton, but he had the innate ability to keep his army motivated even though his soldiers would go for months without pay or provisions. George Washington’s leadership was characterized by his unwavering commitment to the greater good, strategic prowess, and ability to inspire and unite diverse individuals.
Divine intervention – our country was indeed founded as “One nation under God.” Numerous examples of our forefathers point to their belief in Providence serving as the very foundation for this nation that can be found in their writings and seminal documents upon which this nation is based — the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights to name a few. Those that tell you that God was not the basis for the founding of our Republic are simply incorrect and often point to the Constitution, which states in the First Amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of a religion,” NOT that there shall be a separation of church and state.
Sea Power – America is a maritime nation and during the Revolutionary war our fledging navy was no match for the vastly superior and well-trained Royal Fleet of Britian; however, Benjamin Franklin was able to convince France to intercede on our behalf thus not only diverting the Royal Navy but bottling up General Cornwallis at Yorktown where the British could not be resupplied or evacuated and preventing reinforcements from reaching the British army under General Charles Cornwallis, leading to his surrender. When Cornwallis surrendered and his army marched in defeat while playing “The World Turned Upside Down” the world witnessed a rare feat indeed – the most powerful nation on the face of the earth soundly defeated by a bunch of ragtag colonists.
Although not without our faults, we are a nation that is truly blessed – there simply is no other on the planet. As we celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday if it had not been for the nexus of these three factors above, we would still be ruled by a king and not be a nation formed allowing all of us to enjoy “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” May God bless America !
