Burgers on the grill, big-box store discounts and fireworks that rattle your windows — those are some great reasons why Americans love the Fourth of July.

But let’s not forget the primary reason we celebrate the Fourth: It’s the day our country declared its independence from a monarchy and began one of the greatest experiments in self-government the world has ever seen.

That experiment wasn’t a given. It was risky, radical and uncertain. As legend has it, when Benjamin Franklin exited the Constitutional Convention in 1787, a woman asked him what kind of government the delegates had created. Franklin famously replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

We celebrate the Fourth of July because on that date in 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence — a document that didn’t establish our government, but instead laid out the principles that would define it: that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.

This was a stunning break from the idea that rights are granted by kings or governments. The founders believed that our rights come from God, not from any man-made authority — and that the proper role of government is to protect those rights, not limit them.
But the Declaration was only the beginning.

Eleven years later, the Constitution gave form to those ideals by establishing a new kind of government — a constitutional republic. In this system, the people don’t rule directly, as in a pure democracy, but elect representatives who govern on their behalf, all within the strict limits set by the Constitution.

Our republic was built with checks and balances, federalism and separation of powers, precisely because the founders knew the dangers of concentrated authority. They had lived under tyranny. They knew that liberty is fragile — and that it can disappear quickly if citizens forget the purpose and limits of government.

Unfortunately, that understanding is slipping. A 2023 survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that only 22 percent of Americans could name all three branches of government. Many didn’t know what a republic is.

In any event, let’s enjoy the parades, the cookouts and the fireworks that are a cherished part of the Fourth.

John Adams once wrote that Independence Day should be celebrated “with pomp and parade … bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.”

And many of our communities produce incredibly beautiful fireworks displays.

But amid the celebrations, we must remember what we’re truly honoring: the birth of a nation grounded in God-given rights, limited government and the radical idea that we the people are in charge.

This country didn’t happen by accident. It was fought for, debated fiercely and built by brilliant minds who knew what was at stake — and who warned that it could all be lost if future generations failed to understand it and protect it.

So enjoy your hot dogs and your fireworks. But as the sky lights up this week, take a moment to reflect on Franklin’s challenge.
Remember how rare and remarkable our republic truly is.

And pray that we remain wise enough — and informed enough — to keep it.

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Copyright 2025 Tom Purcell, distributed exclusively by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.

See Tom Purcell’s syndicated column, humor books and funny videos featuring his dog, Thurber, at TomPurcell.com. Email him at [email protected].