Introduction
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most famous documents in the world, and it is, at its core, a list of procedural violations by the British crown.
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the most famous objection to a breach of process, the ALEC Policy Team has examined the Founder’s grievances and how they sparked a revolution.
The Semiquincentennial is a chance to give thanks for that rare combination of thought and courage our Founders displayed; for a document that ends not in self‑congratulation, but in a mutual vow of sacrifice, and for authors who bound their own names to the hope that a free people could govern themselves by consent and by written commitments.
As we move into the next 250 years, we must reflect on how we intend to carry our nation forward. If this anniversary is to be more than a fireworks show, it will be because we have taken the Founders’ closing words as more than a toast and allowed their pledge of lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to shape the people we still hope to be.