FSF | Why July 4th? The Declaration as America's First Act of Free Speech

Why do we celebrate America's birthday on July 4th and not July 2nd when the Declaration was actually voted on, or 1775 when shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, or 1783 when Britain finally acknowledged our independence in the Treaty of Paris?

In this special episode, co-hosts Chris and Joia dive into why the Declaration of Independence—an act of speech—became the defining moment of America's founding.

"America began with an act of free speech," Chris observes, noting that this "shows how foundational speech is to freedom and to this country and why, therefore it was included in the First Amendment." The Declaration wasn't just theory—it was "planting a flag firmly in the ground," a statement that transformed British colonists into rebels declaring their identity to the world.

Joia and Chris explore how the Declaration served as both America's "vision and mission statement" (while the Constitution became "the business plan"), calling the founders "the ultimate entrepreneurs" who created something purposefully new. They argue that its endurance for 250 years—making America's government structure among the longest-lasting modern governments—proves the Declaration contains "fundamentally good ideas in accord with human nature at our best."

Drawing inspiration from Jefferson's inclusion of the people's right to change government when it oversteps its bounds, they see an "entrepreneurial spirit" that calls each generation to "constantly renew and experiment in new ways to better live up to the ideals it lays out."

Their challenge for this semiquincentennial year? According to Joia, "this is the year for declarations"—for each person to stake their own claim about timeless principles and announce to the world, "this is what matters, let me give you clarity on my identity." Because, as Chris notes, "we inherited this great gift and it's incumbent upon us to live up to those ideals if we're to preserve it for the next generations."

Happy birthday, America!