According to Gingrich, where does the United States come from, what holds it together over time, and what gives it moral authority? What role does the Declaration of Independence play in his argument?
Semiquincentennial Question 3
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According to Gingrich, the United States came out of the Revolution with the ideas of the Declaration of Independence. He argues that America begins with the belief that rights come from God, not from government, and that political power starts with the individual citizen, who gives only limited power to the state. What holds the country together over time, in his view, is a shared commitment to liberty, self-government, and American exceptionalism. He says the United States has moral authority because it is based on freedom, the rule of law, and the belief that people already have certain basic rights, which he contrasts with authoritarian systems like the Chinese Communist Party, which he mentioned in the piece. The Declaration of Independence is the central point of his argument because he sees it as the document that explains where rights come from, which gathers Americans around the cause of liberty, and provides the solid foundation for American independence and identity.
According to Newt Gingrich, the United States originated from a revolutionary shift in the nature of power, specifically the 1776 declaration that sovereignty resides in the individual as a gift from God rather than being delegated by a king. This “Creator-endowed liberty” serves as the nation’s moral basis, distinguishing the American system from totalitarian regimes through its commitment to human freedom and the rule of law. What holds the country together over time is a shared sense of American exceptionalism and a personal sense of individual liberty, self-government, and the rule of law. While this empowerment initially began with land-owning white men, Gingrich argues it is a cohesive force that has spread over 200 years to include people of every ethnic and religious background.
The Declaration of Independence is the central pillar of Gingrich’s argument, described as the “heart of the American sense of individual authority”. He contends that the document did more than just state principles; it rallied the population to a moral cause and led to the military victory that established a successful society. Gingrich views the Declaration as a “miracle” of American history that must be protected from modern narratives, such as the 1619 Project or Howard Zinn’s work, which he believes attempt to distort or trivialize its unique importance. Ultimately, he argues that the Declaration remains a vital tool for modern competition against foreign dictatorships and for solving domestic problems by renewing the nation’s “entrepreneurial drive”.
According to Gingrich, the United States was born out of the ideas of revolution that were stated in the Declaration of Independence. He stated that it was a revolutionary idea in terms of government power. This means that individual rights come not from government or kings but from God. Before the revolution and the Declaration of Independence, people believed in kings who were given power by God and then gave power to the people. On the other hand, the Declaration stated that individuals were sovereign and that government gets its power only from the people. This revolution and declaration gave way to a new type of government that was based on liberty and individual responsibility. This is what Gingrich calls American exceptionalism.
Gingrich goes on to explain how the common understanding of these principles binds the country together over time. He asserts that the American people share a common understanding of principles such as liberty, equality, and the idea that government authority comes from the people. The Declaration of Independence created a set of common values, which would shape the way the American people would think of their country. Gingrich further asserts that these principles gradually expanded beyond the original white, male landowners to include all individuals, regardless of their backgrounds, such as gender, ethnicity, and religion, over the last two centuries. Gingrich asserts that the Declaration of Independence has been the key factor in keeping the American people connected over the years through the ideals expressed in the Declaration.
He asserts that the Declaration of Independence has been the key factor in giving the U.S. its moral authority because it asserts the idea that the rights of the American people are granted to them by their Creator. This means that the government has the obligation to uphold and protect the individual rights of the American people, as opposed to controlling them. This, therefore, makes the U.S. Declaration of Independence stand out from the rest of the authoritarian governments in the world. For Gingrich, the Declaration of Independence is not just any document; it is the key factor in defining the American identity and its values, as it outlines the purpose of the U.S. as a nation and its moral authority.
Gingrich argues that the United States comes from a very specific origin point: the revolutionary moment of 1776 and the ideas laid out in the Declaration of Independence. He sees the country as rooted in a belief that individual rights come from a higher power rather than from any government, and he treats that idea as the foundation of the American nation and what has continued to expand over time as more groups gain access to those rights. For him, the Declaration isn’t just a historical document but the starting point of a unique political and moral experiment.
He also believes that what holds the United States together, and what gives it moral authority in the world, is a shared commitment to those founding principles. Gingrich frames the Declaration as the moral core of the country, something that defines American freedom and sets the nation apart from systems he sees as oppressive or authoritarian. Because of that, he argues that the Declaration should be at the center of the 250th anniversary celebrations, not reframed. In his argument, the Declaration is the document that explains where the country comes from, why it has endured, and why it still has something meaningful to offer the world.
Gingrich’s essay on the semiquincentennial celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence emphasizes American identity, exceptionalism, and nationalism. The Declaration of Independence plays a key role in Gingrich’s argument as it founded the United States and granted the nation independent sovereignty. The Declaration of Independence is described as the heart of the American nation and reinforces the God-given, natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In Gingrich’s argument, the Declaration of Independence is held together by the celebration and honoring of the declaration every year. However, Gingrich proposes the document should be recognized every month of the year, accentuating its significance.
As many know, the United States was created by the founding fathers but this essay sheds light on the other figures that contributed. Rather than just acknowledging the white men, Gingrich credits the women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and foreign allies who played a major role in fighting for freedom and the formation of the nation. Women fought in combat, regulated the economy, and nursed the injured. Roughly 7,000 African Americans served in war while fighting for freedom against slavery. Immigrants like Alexander Hamilton fought in war and were crucial in the formation of the United States. Foreign allies such as the Dutch and French supported the United States throughout the war by supplying money, weapons, and soldiers. These elements allowed the United States to defeat the British and built a longlasting, successful nation.
Gingrich argues that the moral authority was not derived from man but rather granted from God. This view resonates with the 16th century European idea of the divine right of kings, where leaders acquire authority from a higher power. The Declaration of Independence reinforces how humanities rights come from God and sovereignty was a gift implemented in every individual.