By Nisie

The United States of America has seen 250 years of victory, tragedy, and progress. Against the backdrop of ancient dynasties in Europe, Spain, China, and Russia, the United States became a world leader and dominated the global stage. But the victories didn’t happen without great loss of life; over 1.2 million American soldiers have sacrificed their lives since the American Revolution, and today, in the face of the Iran war, the death toll continues to rise. Twice, Americans have seen true terror when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, killing over 2400 Americans, then on September 11, 2001, hijackers took control of four different planes, crashing into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a large field in Pennsylvania, killing 2,977. Both tragedies changed the United States forever, but as a country, Americans united and continued forward. The wheels of democracy have slowed at times, but have never stopped turning. 

The original Constitution has evolved over the last 250 years; every amendment is like a new puzzle piece needed to make our democracy whole. The 13th Amendment officially abolished slavery nationwide on December 6, 1865. Ratified in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment recognized women's constitutional right to vote. Then on June 26, 2015, following the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, all 50 states were ordered to license and recognize marriages between same-sex couples. Since the 1960’s, our democracy has evolved to be more progressive, inclusive of minority groups and communities. We are currently living at the mouth of the modern age, and the progress continues. 

Don’t Let Down Your Country

Benjamin Franklin's “Join or Die” cartoon, first published in 1754, featured a severed rattlesnake representing the 13 colonies, a prelude to the American Revolution; colonists repurposed the snake as a symbol of unity against British rule. Franklin understood that a united 13 colonies would be the only defense against a tyrannical government that wielded its power to impose unfair taxes on imported goods and to control the colonists by restricting their trade. He traveled to each colony and pleaded with their governments to join an alliance, but none agreed. It would be over two decades before the original 13 colonies finally banded together and the American Revolution began. 

        The Revolutionary War lasted for 8 years, starting with the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. Seven months later, the U.S. Navy was established, and battles would occur along the coastline, then spread inland. By 1777, battles had torn through New York, New Jersey,North Carolina, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, where Patriots fought the red coats until they had no more ammunition or until their enemy retreated. Some battles were monumentous victories, and others were devastating losses. The next year, France joined the American alliance against the British, offering much-needed training for the mostly inexperienced soldiers and supplies to keep the revolution going. Despite France being a new ally, the British would capture Savannah, Georgia, the same year. At the end of 1779, an American and French effort to retake Savannah failed. Five years after the start of the war, Americans have seen more devastating losses, including the burning of two major cities in Connecticut. In 1780, the British would continue to conquer more territory in North and South Carolina, but despite ongoing challenges, the Americans would establish a new settlement at Fort Nashborough (now Nashville, TN). In the next few years, more lives were lost, and American territories were being taken back from the British, who began to lose the war. By 1782, the British had evacuated all occupied lands and fled back home. Americans were all but victorious against the British. Freedom was just on the horizon. The official signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, ended the war with the British. Against all odds, America was free from King George III iron grasp.

        Benjamin Franklin pleaded with the 13 colonies to join in alliance, but it wasn’t until all the colonies were united against the same enemy that they united as a country. “Join or Die” was the warning he gave to those who didn’t believe in the importance of a United country; that same warning still rings true to this day. Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Americans have been bound together by our Constitution, but the divisions are ever widening. But this time we have been separated by political alliances, social differences, and economic disparities. Today, our enemy is within. Benjamin Franklin’s call to “Join or Die” still echoes in the shadow of the great American divide, begging us to come together before this still young country ceases to mature.