It's a hot July day at Philadelphia's Independence Hall and the United States Capitol in Washington. Crowds have gathered in both locations. Television cameras, if they still exist, are rolling. Children sit on their parents' shoulders for a better view. A nation watches as gifts from the past are brought into the sunlight for the first time in 250 years.
The year is 2276. America is celebrating its 500th birthday.
Inside those two capsules are the voices, memories, hopes and dreams of people who lived during America's 250th anniversary. The men and women gathered around it are separated from us by two-and-a-half centuries, yet for a few moments they will hear directly from us, learning what we valued, what we worried about, what we believed, and what kind of country we hoped they would inherit.
Of course, none of us reading these words today will be there to see it happen. Yet that is exactly what makes the project so meaningful.
The creation of these time capsules is just part of the many initiatives undertaken by the America250 Commission, and I have been proud to serve as a member of that commission since its inception as our nation commemorates this historic milestone. For a decade, we have worked to help Americans celebrate our history, learn from our past, and reflect on the future of this great country.
But of all the projects planned for America's 250th birthday, the time capsules may be the one that prompts the most important question: What are we truly leaving behind?
As I think about that question, I cannot help but remember America's bicentennial in 1976. I was just weeks away from my 11th birthday when our nation celebrated its 200th anniversary. Like so many Americans, we celebrated with flags, parades, fireworks and bicentennial quarters that everyone collected.
America was going through a challenging time then as well. The country was still recovering from Watergate, and many Americans were questioning their institutions and leaders. Yet despite those divisions, Americans came together to celebrate the ideals that united us.
Fifty years later, we find ourselves in another season of political disagreement. Turn on the television, scroll through social media, or listen to daily political debates, and it can sometimes seem as though our differences define us. They do not.
It can sometimes seem as though the loudest voices are the ones driving our national conversation, like the Marxist, big-government candidates that just won in New York. But the truth is that most Americans are far more interested in supporting their families, serving their communities and churches, and building a better future. What has always defined America is our shared belief in freedom, self-governance, and God-given rights.
When future generations open those time capsules in 2276, I hope they will see a nation that while not perfect, set out to create a more perfect union as outlined in our U.S. Constitution. The only perfect person ever to walk this earth was Jesus Christ. The rest of us, individuals and nations alike, will always fall short.
Every generation has faced challenges. Every generation has made mistakes. Every generation has had disagreements about the best path forward. But each generation has also inherited a remarkable set of principles from those who came before.
The Americans who declared independence in 1776 left us far more than documents and monuments. They left us the revolutionary idea that free people are capable of governing themselves.
They believed government should exist to secure liberty, not control every aspect of our lives. They believed individuals, families, churches, businesses and local communities were the true building blocks of a healthy society. They believed that while government has important responsibilities, its greatest success often comes when empowering citizens rather than directing them.
Those ideas remain just as important today as they were 250 years ago.
Government should help where it can. It should protect our freedoms, preserve the rule of law, and provide for the common defense. But America's strength has always come from its people, the men and women who work hard, raise families, build communities, solve problems, and pursue their own dreams.
In short, the idea of America has always been that with God’s help, its citizens are the captains of their own destinies. This is part of the inheritance we received from the American founders, and it is part of the inheritance we should pass along to those who follow us.
When those time capsules are finally opened in 2276, maybe people will teleport in or make the trip from an American colony on Mars. We really cannot imagine what life will be like then. But I hope they will recognize something familiar in the messages we leave behind.
I hope they will see a generation that valued freedom, a generation that believed in personal responsibility, a generation that understood that our nation, while imperfect, was still worth preserving and improving.
Most of all, I hope they will see a generation that never lost faith in the American experiment. Because that may be the most important thing we can leave behind, not just in a time capsule, but in the country itself.
Congressman Robert Aderholt represents Alabama's Fourth Congressional District and serves on the bipartisan U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission (America250), which is leading the nation's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. He also serves as Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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