The Birth of a Nation.

With today being 4th July it seems appropriate that I briefly touch upon what this day commemorates. On 4th July 1776 the United States of America officially declared itself independent from the British Empire. Its independence and founding as an official nation unto itself have a lot to do with my enthusiastic interest in the United States.

The thirteen colonies of the New World were unwilling to serve under the British crown and obey the laws of the British parliament. One of the points of contention was the fact that the colonies were being taxed by parliament despite no representation within the House of Commons. This led to James Otis defiantly stating that "taxation without representation is tyranny"; a phrase which has become famous in American history and culture. This, interesting though it is, is not the reason for my interest.

The men who made the case for, and fought for, American independence were presented with a unique opportunity. They could found a brand new nation completely from scratch. What they did with that opportunity is, in my opinion, one of the greatest social and political achievements of mankind. That may sound hyperbolic but I assure you that I am genuine in that view.

While General George Washington (who would later become the first President of an independent United States) is rightly credited with much of the success of the revolution, the founding of the nation as it stands should have its proper dues elsewhere. One man in particular Thomas Jefferson. A deist, scholar, musician, architect and inventor (among other things) who was a fervent supporter of the revolutionary efforts was one of the principal architects of America's founding. He was the lead author of the Declaration of Independence, which stated in no uncertain terms that the new nation would be founded on certain "inalienable rights", namely "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". It is this ideal that would later inspire one of the greatest leaders the nation would ever see - Abraham Lincoln. The Declaration of Independence still retains its power to inspire generations of people centuries after it was written.
That was not the full extent of Jefferson's contribution to the United States. Far from it. When it came to the writing of the Constitution he had a great deal of influence. In fact, the First Amendment to the Constitution was greatly influenced and shaped by Jefferson's own Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom, which essentially guaranteed the free practice of religion for anyone in the United States (including the freedom not to practice any religion). Jefferson's ideas established a firm wall of separation between the church and the state: something which a lot of religious apologists today wrongly contend is not true when making their fatuous arguments that the United States is a Christian nation by virtue of its founding documents. This amendment was a huge departure from the laws of Britain, which firmly establish the Church of England as the official religion with a hereditary monarch at its head.

It is in the Bill of Rights that also guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to a trail by jury and the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. The founding of the United States is a secular one, but more importantly it is the first nation conceived with human rights at its core. Obviously other nations have incorporated human rights into their laws but it was the United States which made it the bedrock of their republic. These were the wonderful ideas that gave rise to what would become the most powerful country in the world. I will be the first to admit that the United States is not perfect, but its potential for greatness will always exist because of its core. It is my fond hope that I will be able to contribute to that potential from within before long. I would be happy to do so.

Happy Independence Day, America!