How to keep the American republic another 250 years and beyond
Key takeaways
- Capitol building, Friday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Washington.
- Even more miraculously, our democratic republic has survived, thrived and grown more inclusive, as voting rights and other rights once granted only to white male property owners expanded to cover all men and women.
- Slavery, which deprived my ancestors and millions of other Black Americans of all human rights, was abolished.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
A large banner showing the U.S. Constitution is held up before the U.S. Capitol building, Friday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mike Pesoli) This year s 250th anniversary of America s independence is a good time to reflect on what a miraculous achievement it was for 13 sparsely populated colonies to defeat the British Empire in battle and create a democratic republic at a time when monarchs ruled most of the world.
Even more miraculously, our democratic republic has survived, thrived and grown more inclusive, as voting rights and other rights once granted only to white male property owners expanded to cover all men and women.
Slavery, which deprived my ancestors and millions of other Black Americans of all human rights, was abolished. Many forms of racial, gender and other discrimination were outlawed, although systemic discrimination still stubbornly persists to a lesser degree than in 1776.