A Builder’s Reflection By Michael Herzberg Smith June 2026 When the United States declared independence in 1776, the founders accomplished something extraordinary. They announced to the world that a new nation would be built upon the principle of self-government. Authority would not flow from kings or aristocracies, but from the consent of the people. Yet declaring independence was only the beginning. Winning a revolution was one challenge. Building a system capable of sustaining liberty...

A Builder’s Reflection By Michael Herzberg Smith June 2026 As the United States reaches its 250th anniversary, many people naturally reflect on the dramatic moments of the founding era – the debates over independence, the Revolutionary War, the drafting of the Constitution. These events deserve their place in history, because they defined the political birth of the nation. But there was another challenge facing the young republic that was just as critical. How would the country build a...

A Builder’s Reflection By Michael Herzberg Smith May 2026 As the United States reflects on its 250-year journey, it becomes clear that the American experiment was never solely about politics. The founding generation certainly debated constitutions, laws, and the proper structure of government. But alongside those debates, another force was quietly shaping the nation’s future. Enterprise. From the earliest days of the republic, America became a place where people could pursue productive work,...