The Heritage Foundation - President's Essay - The 1776 Opportunity: A 2026 Year-Long Celebration

This copy of "The 1776 Opportunity: A 2026 Year Long Celebration" is autographed by Speaker Newt Gingrich.

July 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Newt looks back at the process the committee of five went through to write the Declaration and its significance both then and now. A 2026 year-long celebration is being planned to honor our country's independence.

In the inspiring proposal, Newt wears his historian hat and reminds us just how incredible the Declaration of Independence was for its time and still is today.

On the 250th anniversary of this extraordinary document, America needs to reflect on how significantly this single piece of paper changed the trajectory of not just this nation, but of the world. The lessons that resulted from our great experiment in freedom and free-market capitalism spread around the globe and helped raise billions out of abject poverty. America's role as peacekeeper, conqueror of tyrants, exporter of freedom, first responder in worldwide natural disasters, and mentor of free market prosperity has impacted the world like no other nation has before it.

If we fail to understand this incredible history, to teach it, to honor it, and to ensure that it remains part of the American DNA, well then, we're already seeing where that path is leading us.