Did you know that Monday marks the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrim Fathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts (December 21, 1620)?
Descendants of the Mayflower formed the Old Colony Club and established Forefathers’ Day on December 22, 1769, “to honor the forefathers.” Fun fact: when adjusting the date to the Gregorian calendar, the anniversary of the landing was mistakenly calculated to be December 22nd instead of December 21st.
As we consider both the founding and forming of the country, it’s a good time to consider the work of Kevin Seamus Hasson, who wrote Believers, Thinkers, and Founders: How We Came to Be One Nation Under God.
America has chosen—from the Declaration of Independence on—to accept the premise that it is “self-evident” that we are “all…created equal” and “endowed by [our] Creator with certain inalienable rights.” The Declaration further teaches that the proper role of government is to “secure” the people’s rights. Not to “bestow” or “grant” those rights, but to “secure” them. The rights already exist. That God is the source of our rights is an idea deeply rooted in our national identity.
Click here for more from Believers, Thinkers, and Founders: How We Came to Be One Nation Under God