James March-April 2024 online - Flipbook - Page 51
THIS YEAR, the state of Georgia
and the Georgia Historical Society
kick off their observance of the 250th
anniversary of the United States. On
July 4, 2026, the document written
by Thomas Jefferson in which he
declared “all men are created equal,”—
and the nation that the Declaration of
Independence created— will be twoand one-half centuries old.
To mark the anniversary, Gov.
Brian Kemp created the Georgia US250
Commission. Over the next three years
the Georgia Historical Society and
its official partners— the Office of the
Governor, the Georgia Department of
Economic Development and the Georgia Humanities Council— will lead the
state’s participation in this significant
national commemoration.
Across the country, it will be a
time of grand celebrations. The United
States is the longest-surviving republic
with a written constitution in world
history. The revolution launched with
the Declaration spread liberty far
beyond our own shores. The immortal
phrase “All men are created equal” has
been a terror to tyrants and an inspiration for oppressed people everywhere.
The anniversary comes at a crucial and propitious time in America’s
experiment in self-government. Our
nation is experiencing some of the
most dramatic demographic, economic, political, and social changes we
have seen in half a century, testing
the strength of the world’s oldest democracy. Not since the turbulence of
the 1960s and 1970s has our political
system endured such stress or been
questioned by our own leaders. Many
have lost faith in the institutions of democracy and the future of our republic.
This is not a partisan issue. Americans of all political persuasions are
concerned about what they perceive
as an erosion in the norms of conduct
and the pillars that sustain how free
people govern themselves. In particular, the media, the courts, elections
and the Constitution itself no longer
seem to possess the confidence once
placed in them. Some even wonder
if democracy has failed altogether,
producing unintended social and economic consequences.
Public history institutions like the
Georgia Historical Society are uniquely
positioned to address these concerns
and help restore trust in our system
and in each other. Using the story of
the American past, we can explain
how a republic functions and why
democracy is preferable to any other
form of government, no matter how
messy and inefficient it may be. History also provides context and develops
analytical skills so that we can think
critically about the problems facing
our country— as well as those individuals who seek to govern us. History can
help us find answers to the big questions about government’s role in our
lives and America’s role in the world.
Perhaps most important, history
has the power to remind us of who we
are as Americans. The essence of what
it means to be an American is contained in the story of our nation. There
is a reason why nearly 90 percent of
the questions on the citizenship test
relate to American history.
The story of the past in all its
complexity can inspire Americans
to renew their commitment to the
radical and still liberating ideals
embodied in the Declaration— namely,
the equality of all people and their
inalienable right to life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. These ideals
originally were applied narrowly but
have an even greater meaning for all
Americans 250 years later.
In that sense, the American
Revolution is not a static event frozen
in some remote past. It is a vibrant,
powerful idea that lives on, continually
driving us to expand human freedom
and create a more perfect union.
To address this pressing need, the
Georgia Historical Society is creating
a signature US250 project, Restoring
Trust in American Institutions: History and the Foundations of American
Democracy, that launches this year.
Through a series of educational
programs, public forums, scholarly
publications, special exhibits and
classroom resources, GHS will educate children and teachers, leaders
from the private and public sectors
and the general public about the vital
role that democratic institutions play
in sustaining a republican form of government and how America has put its
unique stamp on each of these pillars
of democracy.
The project will explore historically how a press free from governmental
control has informed the American
people, served as a marketplace for
ideas, and held our government and
leaders accountable; how an independent judiciary has been essential to
maintaining the separation of power
and the rule of law; why acceptance
of election results has been the sine
qua non of democracy and self-government; and especially how our historic
fidelity to the U.S. Constitution and
the system of government enshrined
therein has maintained the world’s
oldest republic and promoted freedom
across the globe.
To accomplish these objectives,
History and the Foundations of American
Democracy will tell the stories of the
many individuals, leaders, and organizations, both private and public, that
have shaped the evolution of these
foundational institutions and norms.
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