Declaration of Independence: Ringbolt of America’s freedom

Frederick Douglass called the Declaration of Independence the ringbolt to the chain of our national destiny. He argued that its principles are our saving principles. Famously, he called for us to “stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost.”

The Declaration was an inflection point in the experiments the nascent Americans – until that time, still subjects of the British King – had been undertaking experiments in how to develop systems of government. By grounding legitimacy in the consent of the governed, the Declaration gave a foundation for the soaring rhetoric of equality and the subsequent efforts to forge a new Constitution. As with a ringbolt, our aspirations could be tied down to something fixed.

We may celebrate with picnics and fireworks, we may gather with family and friends, and we relish the time spent wholly immersed in the private sphere of life for a long weekend.  We may do these things because of the enduring principles of the Declaration and the renewed commitment of each generation to, as Douglass counseled, “stand by those principles.”  When America strays, liberty erodes.

At CEI, we advocate for markets over government meddling.  We trust individuals to make decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities.  We cherish the natural liberty of each person and his or her immutable dignity. We do these things in the often messy and always imperfect context of politics. Our path is not linear, but it is rooted, and we are making headway against every headwind.

To that end, I invite readers to spend some time with the remarkable ideas and elegant phrases of the Declaration. In less than 10 minutes, you can read the whole document.  Remember, like a poem or a play, it was written to be read aloud in front of a crowd.