America at 250: A Reason to Be Curious

When I was younger, the Fourth of July was simple. It was fireworks, burgers, cornhole, and playing basketball with my cousins. Like most people, I loved the holiday because it meant summer, and I never spent much time thinking about why we celebrated it. I knew America had declared its independence in 1776, but beyond that, it was just another date on the calendar.

The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve realized that some of the most important things in life can become so familiar that we stop asking why they matter. We celebrate family traditions without remembering where they came from. We enjoy freedoms without thinking about how much they were fought for. We inherit a country without always taking the time to understand the ideas that built it.

That curiosity is what eventually led me to start Project 1602.

Not because I have all the answers, and certainly not because I think America has always gotten everything right. I started it because I realized how much I didn’t know, and how much history we had that was worth learning. Now, the more I read about our history, our institutions, our economy, and the people who shaped this country, the more I realize that understanding America isn’t simply another subject in school.  It’s one of the most rewarding journeys a person can take because it changes the way you see the country you live in.  

As America celebrates its 250th year, I’ve found myself thinking more about what is means to inherit a country and how well we truly understand it.

We live in a time when it’s easy to have an opinion about almost everything. Within seconds we can react to a headline, scroll through hundreds of comments, or listen to someone else’s perspective. Understanding something has always taken more than just reacting to it. It takes curiosity, patience, and the willingness to learn more than what’s on the surface.

My hope is that Project 1602 becomes a place where people slow down long enough to rediscover America. A place where history provides perspective, economics explains incentives, institutions reveal how our country works, and thoughtful conversation is encouraged. Most of all, I hope it reminds people that understanding our country is one of the most important things we can pursue.

I don’t know what America will look like 250 years from now, none of us do. But I do know that every generation leaves its mark on the country it inherits. My hope is that our generation will be remembered as one that cared enough to understand America while actively shaping it.

My hope is that this milestone inspires curiosity. Curiosity about the ideas that shaped this country, the people who sacrificed to build and improve it, and the institutions that continue to shape our lives today. Because the more we understand America, the better prepared we are to shape its future.