800 Words
I was speaking with my sister yesterday about the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations and the importance of this 250th anniversary of our Nation. She asked me if I remembered all the festivities we participated in when the bicentennial anniversary was celebrated: the parade in Montclair, New Jersey, the interfaith unity service at First Congregational Church, the spring concert at Montclair High School, and the awesome firework displays.
She went on to describe a conversation she had with her daughter when she asked Lexie if she was excited about the 250th anniversary. Her reply, “Not really.”
My niece’s response supports recent surveys showing that fewer than a quarter of Americans are paying close attention to the 250th anniversary, and Generations X and Z are part of that group. Several factors may explain why they are not as engaged as other age groups.
AEI’s “America at 250” survey found that Gen Z is more likely to respect the Founding Fathers (30% strongly agree) than baby boomers (60%), and only two-thirds of Gen Z are very or somewhat proud to be American compared to 89% of boomers.[1] While Gen Xers are generally more patriotic than Gen Z, they may be less inclined to see the 250th as a unifying, celebratory event given their own mixed feelings about the country’s direction.
Pew Research Center data shows most Americans think the country’s best days are behind us, with 69% dissatisfied with how things are going.[2] This “sour mood” can dampen enthusiasm for national milestones, especially if they feel disconnected from the nation’s current realities.
It appears the lack of enthusiasm for the 250th anniversary likely stems from a mix of political partisanship, skepticism about democracy’s health, generational differences in patriotism, and a broader public mood of cynicism. Many Americans may still be proud of the country, but they’re less likely to see the 250th as a unifying, celebratory moment like many did back in 1976.
I believe we can turn this doubt and uncertainty around by recalling the stories of our founding fathers and mothers. Their sacrifice for what they believed was not only exemplary but most certainly inspirational. By sharing the story that is America, we can rebuild the connections between one another and assist individuals to feel less isolated and more understood.
Let’s bypass the “Fab-Four” (George Washington, John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson). Instead, what do you know about Thomas Nelson, John Witherspoon and Mary Katherine Goddard? Three thoroughly ordinary people who did extraordinary things in the name of freedom.
Thomas Nelson Jr. was a Virginia delegate who signed the Declaration of Independence and played a key role in pushing for American independence. Initially he opposed British taxation and policies and actively supported the Patriot cause. Nelson provided financial and material aid to revolutionary efforts, including sending supplies to Boston and organizing a Yorktown tea party in protest of British rule.
In 1776, Nelson introduced resolutions at the Virginia Convention urging the colony’s delegates in the Continental Congress to seek a clear and immediate declaration of independence. This motion, seconded by Patrick Henry, was adopted by Virginia and directly influenced Richard Henry Lee’s motion in Congress calling for independence from Britain.[3]
On August 2, 1776, Nelson, along with the rest of the delegates to the Second Continental Congress, officially signed the Declaration of Independence. History remembers the room that day was silent and gloomy for each of the signatories knew they were potentially facing their death by hanging for signing that document. “We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”[4]
Beyond his political role, Nelson also served as a brigadier general in the Virginia militia during the Revolutionary War and later became Governor of Virginia in 1781. During the Siege of Yorktown, he personally organized and supplied troops, even allegedly ordering artillery fire on his own home, which had been occupied by British forces, to aid the American cause.
Nelson spent most of his fortune on the revolution, as did so many of the framers. He died so poor that his body was buried in an unmarked grave so creditors couldn't find it and dig it up to use as collateral for his debts. On his death bed, Nelson was asked, “Do you have any regrets about this independence?” He said, “I would do it again!”[5]
John Witherspoon was born on February 5, 1723, in Gifford, Scotland. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he earned a Master of Arts and later a Doctor of Theology. In 1768, he emigrated to America to become the president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).
Witherspoon was a delegate from New Jersey to the Second Continental Congress, where he played a significant role in advocating for independence from Britain. He was known for his passionate speeches and was a strong proponent of the resolution for independence, famously stating that the colonies were "not only ripe for the measure but in danger of rotting for the want of it".[6]
On August 2, 1776, he signed the Declaration of Independence, making him the only active clergyman and college president to do so. Witherspoon's legacy extended beyond politics; he was a key figure in the development of the Presbyterian Church in America and significantly impacted the education system through his presidency at Princeton.
In November 1777, as British forces neared the town of Princeton, Witherspoon closed and evacuated the College. The main building, Nassau Hall, was badly damaged, and his papers and personal notes were lost. Witherspoon was responsible for its reconstruction after the war, which caused him great personal and financial difficulty. At age 68, he married a 24-year-old widow, with whom he had two more children. He died on November 15, 1794, leaving behind a legacy as a leader in both religious and political spheres in early America.
Mary Katherine Goddard from Baltimore, Maryland was a publisher and postmaster. She took control of her brother’s revolutionary publication, The Maryland Journal, and signed her name as “MK Goddard” so people didn't know she was a woman.
At that time the Continental Congress was meeting in Baltimore because the British had overrun Philadelphia. When the framers of the declaration decided to publish the document with their names attached to it (a public display of defiance to the Crown), Goddard did something very different. She put her whole name, Mary Katherine Goddard, on the publication that day just like the signatories of the declaration. A simple act of solidarity and of treason. But also, an act of bravery and courage.
Goddard died August 12, 1816, still beloved by her community, and was buried in the graveyard of the St. Paul's Episcopal Parish. In her will, she posthumously freed her slave, Belinda Starling, writing that she, "gives and grants to my female slave, Belinda Starling, aged about 26 years, her Freedom at my death; and I also give and bequeath unto said Belinda Starling all the property of which I may did possessed; all which I do to recompense the faithful performance of duties to me."[7]
Three ordinary people doing extraordinary things for the ideals and principles which they believed in. The stories of these patriots must never be taken for granted or lost for the freedoms they came to enjoy were made at great cost. Their stories are our stories. Their struggles are reminders that the work of being free is sometimes difficult and costly. On this 250th anniversary of a great nation, may we share their stories and ours to build a more perfect union.
[1] RealClearPolitics
[2] Pew Research Center
[3] See OTDIA https://reed-hyperboloid-dwk7.squarespace.com/config/pages/6a38320aa651515025a322cc
[4] Last sentence of the Declaration of Independence
[5] https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=what+were+tomas+nelson%27s+last+words+before+he+died&mid=3DB6825412D63FBC6BF03DB6825412D63FBC6BF0&churl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fchannel%2fUCtB2TMHmfJHSJlelgaQduQw&FORM=VIRE
[6] The Piety of John Witherspoon
[7] "Archives of Maryland (Biographical Series) - Mary Katherine Goddard (1738-1816) - MSA SC 3520-2809"
