The Declaration of Independence proclaims that life and liberty are the unalienable gifts of God – natural rights – which no person or government can rightfully take away. It affirms that the purpose of government is to protect these God-given rights, and that government is subservient to the people. The people, not the government, hold the power. Government derives its powers from the consent of the governed (the people). Our Declaration reduced the status of government from the master of people (as in English rule) to that of the servant of the people.
July 4, the day the document was signed, is the day we celebrate as Independence Day. However, at this point, we were far from independent.
The American Revolutionary War raged on for more than five more years. British General Charles Cornwallis formally surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. But the cost of the war had bankrupted the Congress. Many soldiers had fought for more than six years without pay. While we were an independent nation, it was unclear how long we would remain that way.
The inauguration of George Washington as the first president of the United States occurred on April 30, 1789, and signaled a move toward order and stability: our freedom had been declared and won, our Constitution adopted and our president elected and in office.
The work for a free country continues today. While celebrating the birth of our nation’s Independence on July 4th, we also celebrate our growth, trials and triumphs.
July 4th should be more than a simple celebration, but a time to reflect on the importance and responsibility of citizens of a nation who “hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Our rights come from God, to be loaned to the government - let us pay thanks to God for these rights while we remind the government that these rights are only loaned to them by the people. They govern only by the consent of the governed.