As we approach our Nation’s birthday, we come yet another year closer to our 250th birthday or Semi Quincentennial which will be observed on July 4, 2026. It is hard to believe that against all odds our Founding Fathers embarked upon an almost impossible task of creating a new nation that embodied the then novel concepts of free speech, freedom of religion, and the right to vote that many take for granted today.
In observance of our nation’s founding, I have been reading numerous accounts of the American Revolution and the men and women who sacrificed it all when the odds were stacked against them. On face value our fight against Great Britain should have failed miserably – at the time she had one of the most powerful Army and Navy in the world and was one of the world’s leading economic superpowers.
Our Commander in Chief Washington’s rag tag Army of farmers and militia men were beaten back on numerous occasions and the support provided by the Continental Congress was lackluster at best. Soldiers went months without pay, proper supplies, and were at the mercy of petty partisan politics that pervaded the thirteen colonies that still viewed themselves as individual states vice a unified nation.
Yet in spite of these monumental challenges and with a little help from the nation of France at the decisive battle of Yorktown against all odds George Washington and the colonies prevailed – incredulous! When General Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown legend has it that as his troops marched out of their fortifications to lay down their arms they played “The World Turned Upside Down.” Truly the world was now turned upside down as against all odds the most powerful nation on earth was soundly defeated.
I often ask myself why how did this happen? I firmly believe that as a nation we possess what I would term the “American Spirit.” A nation with an ever-present sense of optimism and determination that has enabled us to overcome all odds – the War for Independence, a terrible Civil War, the Great Depression, and two World Wars. As Americans are a testament to grit, determination, and unwillingness to never give up despite what challenges we may face. I also believe that Providence had a hand in shaping this great nation and continues to use the United States of America as a shining beacon against those nations that embody darkness, evil, and tyranny.
Yes, America is perhaps on the verge of being torn asunder due to ongoing political strife from within and external challenges from those envious nations who wish to challenge our position as the leader of the free world. But in spite of what may lie ahead I am confident that like our Founding Fathers we will prevail and triumph once again. No, we are not perfect but as a nation, yet we are willing to acknowledge our shortcomings and try to correct them. That is the beauty of our nation – the American Spirit endures.
