Jean Leon Gerome Ferris: Betsy Ross 1777
America's 250th birthday is upon us, and with your indulgence, I'm going to use this space to share my appreciation for this amazing republic and my optimism for its future.
In the grand scheme of history, 250 years is nothing. It's scarcely a long weekend by the measure of Rome or Athens. But what we've done with those two-and-a-half centuries is nothing short of astonishing. We went from a handful of men writing revolutionary letters to King George to becoming the richest, most powerful, and most inventive society the world has ever seen. And we did it while arguing the whole time.
Start with the founding itself. The words set down on the parchment of the Declaration of Independence established a new nation on a previously unheard-of premise: that all men are endowed by their Creator with natural rights—not by governments or rulers. These natural rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—are essential for humankind to flourish.
Then we had the audacity to defeat the British Empire, the superpower of its day, and follow that up by inventing the Constitution. Our Founders had two main imperatives when designing our new government: 1) Don't let anyone get too much power, and 2) Prevent the majority from trampling the minority. Their final product was a masterpiece political wisdom—a system of checks, balances, and federalism that has endured for more than two centuries.
What followed was a period of dynamic growth never seen before. We expanded westward. The ancient curse of slavery, which America did not invent but which she resolved in blood and fire, was ended forever on this continent. We unleashed the innovation and entrepreneurship of our people by ending government chartering of businesses. We industrialized, electrified, motorized, and computerized the world. America faced down tyranny and fascism in Europe twice, put men on the moon, and buried Soviet communism, freeing Eastern Europe from decades of darkness.
Sure, 2026 America has problems. Our government spends more money than it takes in and has neither a plan nor the will to stop. Social Security and Medicare are heading toward a cliff. Our large cities are badly governed. China is emerging as a true rival—smarter and economically stronger than the former Soviet Union. And K-12 education in some places is dismal.
But America has always had challenges. Pick any year in our history and you will find problems to be solved, panic, scandal, and predictions of imminent collapse. Yet here we are at 250—richer, freer, and more American than ever.
After all this time, the constitutional system our Founders created still affords more rights and freedoms to its citizens than any other place on the planet. America's institutions have shown remarkable resilience, surviving wars, scandals, pandemics, impeachments, financial crises, market collapses, and bad leaders. Americans are freer than at any time in history, and the restorative powers of our constitutional order make that unlikely to change.
The standard of living in 2026 America? It's obscenely good. Economist and George Mason University professor Don Boudreaux once detailed how much better the present-day American lives compared to John D. Rockefeller in 1916—the year he became the world's first billionaire. Today's ease of travel, HVAC, package delivery, entertainment options, communications, automobiles, cuisine, technology, medicine, basic health care, and dramatically lower rates of maternal and child mortality were out of reach in 1916, even for the mighty Rockefeller. Yet the ordinary American of 2026 enjoys all this and more. Largely speaking, we have the same access to these things as Elon Musk and Bill Gates—private jets excluded.
Compared to citizens of other Western countries, Americans are living quite well. Alabama's median family income is nearly 25% higher than the median family income in the United Kingdom, and Alabama families enjoy a much lower cost of living than their UK counterparts. American household income is 38% higher than that in Canada.
Our economy is the envy of the world, with incredible staying power even in the face of global turmoil. Natural disasters, wars, pandemics, and market crashes have routinely been brushed aside by America's modern economy, which dwarfs the combined economies of all European Union nations.
We have the highest concentration of top-ranked universities, the best scientists and engineers, the most Nobel Laureates, and loads of highly skilled tradesmen.
America has abundant natural resources, energy dominance, plenty of land, and fresh water. No rival nation can squeeze our energy supply and force blackouts or heat-free winters.
In 1838, Abraham Lincoln said that no foreign army could, by force, take a drink from the Ohio River. That remains true today, thanks to the most effective, efficient, and feared fighting force in the world.
But the real miracle of this country is its people. One cannot truly love America without also loving Americans. We are extraordinary.
Americans give more charity than anyone. We're inventive and entrepreneurial, holding more than 3.5 million patents—more than any other country except China. (That deserves an asterisk: China incentivizes patent filings with subsidies, prioritizing volume over quality. In other words, most of China's patents are garbage.)
We are the most enterprising people in the world, leading all nations in business starts. Four of the top five cities for startups are in the United States. Ninety-nine percent of all U.S. businesses are small-to-medium enterprises, meaning the little guy still dreams big in this country.
Although the percentage of Americans who say faith is an important part of their lives has fallen to just under half, there are encouraging signs that young people are returning to faith in growing numbers.
Yeah, the media and online algorithms love to highlight Americans behaving badly. One would think we are a country of airplane brawlers and pot-addled losers. But the numbers say otherwise. According to Gallup, only 15% of U.S. adults smoke marijuana, and only 9% use it regularly. Only 3% of American adults have been to prison, and only 8% have felony convictions. A mere 14% have misdemeanor convictions.
Finally, Americans are opinionated and argue loudly. Even before the Founders put pen to paper in 1776, they were arguing—and we've been doing it ever since. Political disagreements can almost always be overcome. We are bound by one purpose: chasing that bright horizon called the American Dream. For most of us, the dream is modest but attainable: get an education or training, work hard, follow the rules and be able to afford a decent living, to raise a family, to live in a comfortable house in a safe neighborhood, and leave a better future for our kids.
Each of us gets a chance at that dream thanks to the happy circumstance of being born or naturalized in the United States of America. America is good. And I am damn lucky to live here.
Our pursuit of happiness—as the Founders envisioned it, guided and protected by the resilient constitutional order they crafted—propels us forward into the next 250 years. For in the hearts of our people—in our courage, our decency, and our restless spirit of invention—lies the promise that America's best days are still to come.
So on America's birthday, I offer a short phrase that we often take for granted. It is an aspiration—a short prayer asking for divine protection and guidance for this country we love so much: God Bless America.
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