The approval of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on the 4th of July, 1776 represented the ultimate political gamble.
The American revolutionaries were fighting against the world’s most powerful country, and the vast majority of colonists in America either opposed or were indifferent to independence.
While the odds were slim, the consequences for failure were severe. All 56 men who later signed the Declaration faced an assured death by hanging were the Revolution to fail.
And they had a lot to lose. The leaders of the Revolution were generally wealthy and influential in the colonies.
But they had suffered what Jefferson called a “long train of abuses” over the previous decade, and believed that failure to take a stand would lead to the destruction of their liberty.
So when they pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, they meant it.
The Declaration was the ultimate political line in the sand: rights are God-given, not government-granted; government is legitimate only upon the consent of the governed; and government’s purpose is to safeguard the natural rights of the people.
What began as a conservative rebellion seeking the preservation of traditional English rights evolved into a political revolution that laid the foundation for the rise of the greatest republic in history — and that produced transformational consequences around the world.
We as Americans in 2026 are inheritors of this legacy of liberty and the beneficiaries of the courage, wisdom and dedication of the Founding Fathers.
We can acknowledge that our society and nation face a lot of problems. Whether there will be an America 500 celebration may very well depend on how this generation of Americans tackle these challenges.
But there can be no doubt that we are fortunate to be citizens of this republic. And we have a small group of patriots, who took a risky stand 250 years ago, to thank for that.
Happy America 250!
Today, America wakes 250 years later as a beacon of hope, a republic entrusted to its people, an idea that changed the world.
A nation worth preserving. A dream worth pursuing. A freedom defended by every generation.
Happy 250th, America! 🇺🇸
🚨BREAKING🚨 The Benjamin School (FL) golfer Charlie Woods has committed to Florida State🍢
Charlie is legendary golfer Tiger Woods’ son.
Read: https://t.co/y4aaFU4OCZ
BREAKING:
Son of PGA Tour legend Tiger Woods, Charlie Woods, has announced he has committed to playing golf at Florida State University via his Instagram. Woods is one of the top recruits in the Class of 2027 and will be playing his college golf in Tallahassee.
#Noles #FSUGolf
Merry Christmas!
“Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.”
—President Calvin Coolidge, 1927
Merry Christmas!
“Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.”
—President Calvin Coolidge, 1927
Happy Thanksgiving!
From President Washington’s first Thanksgiving Proclamation:
“Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.”
Charlie Kirk was more committed to peaceful, open dialogue with those who disagreed with him than anyone I know. God blessed him with immense gifts, and he used them boldly and without fear. He knew the risks he was taking, but he did it anyway because he loved his kids & felt a responsibility to the nation they would inhabit. I traveled the entire country with him last year, we spent 1x1 time together in Ohio two weeks ago, spoke to him again 2 days ago. He’s long warned of the rise of political violence & the growing culture of assassination, when few were willing to listen, with a clarity of vision unlike anyone I’ve known. Completely and utterly devastated.