During the 1770s and 1780s, King Louis XVI’s subjects were fascinated with all things American. That fascination often centered on America’s celebrity diplomat, Benjamin Franklin. During his nine-year stint first as America’s commissioner and then as its ambassador to France, Franklin was fêted by the elite of French society as the embodiment of American freedom and virtue, as evidenced by his homespun simplicity and coonskin cap.
The culmination of the French frenzy for America can be seen in the contest sponsored in the 1780s by the Abbé Raynal, a well-known philosophe, for the best essay on the question, “Has the discovery of America been beneficial or harmful to the human race?” From the first settlement at Jamestown in 1607 to the present day, tens of millions of people from around the world have answered Raynal’s question by voting with their feet and immigrating to America. But imagine if Raynal’s question were asked of today’s American college professors, members of the National Education Association, the talking heads of the mainstream media, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the ceos of America’s Fortune 500. One suspects that a large number, maybe even a majority, would answer in the negative.
On July 4, 2026, will we celebrate or desecrate 1776?
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we find ourselves in a rather embarrassing situation. On July 4, 2026, will we celebrate or desecrate 1776? Some Americans will no doubt want to mark
