This year's Fourth of July marks the 243rd anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and Americans have much to celebrate. While rejecting monarchical rule and fighting for independence, the Founding Fathers inaugurated a new chapter in the western world. Their ideals, they thought, constituted the best hope for mankind. 

John Adams urged each generation to celebrate the Fourth of July "with pomp and parade, with . . . bonfires and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other." Indeed, each year since 1776, Americans have celebrated it. During the War for  Independence, professionals, educators, and politicians in their Fourth of July speeches discussed those elements needed to establish a free and happy society. Expressing the hopes and dreams of the American people, they sought to "provide for the security, the quiet, and happy enjoyment of life" for everyone. Most importantly, they hoped that individuals would be able to develop themselves as fully as possible, live a purposeful life and do their part in helping others.

While the Declaration of Independence symbolized the dignity and worth of the individual, there was the obvious anomaly of America's dedication both to the principles of the Declaration and to the institution of slavery. The Founders were a mirror of their culture. They were composed of that same mesh of good and evil that people are generally made of. Notwithstanding their failings, however, over time the Founders' ideals have proven to be more energizing than their flaws. Each generation has carried them forward. They have been a great force in our history.

Through such moments as the Women's Rights Convention in 1848, President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in 1863, and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech a century later, Americans expanded the ideals. The struggles over civil rights, women's rights and gay rights testify to the timeless value of the Founders' ideals as they relate to individual rights and happiness.

As the Founders saw the need to establish a nation of laws and a political system with checks and balances, their main emphasis, however, was on ensuring each individual's "unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Few words in our history are more familiar and important than those words. They are the essence of America's promise. Each generation has taken the individual's right to pursue happiness as an accepted truth. The founding generation generally agreed with John Adams when he wrote that "the happiness of society is the end of government" and that when it provides "ease, comfort, security, or, in one word, happiness to the greatest number of persons, and in the greatest degree, it is [at its] best."

Indeed, there is much to celebrate this Fourth of July. Honoring our rich tradition is a special element that helps hold us together. By celebrating the Fourth of July, we foster a sense of relatedness, inspiring all of us to continue to live true to our Founders' ideals and America's values.

Roger Fortin is a distinguished service professor of history at Xavier University, author and speaker. He lives in Northern Kentucky with his wife, Janet.  

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