‘A republic if you can keep it’: America at 250
The heat was sweltering when delegates emerged from Independence Hall on Sept. 17, 1787. Crowds had gathered outside, waiting for news from the Constitutional Convention. Among them was Elizabeth Willing Powel, a prominent Philadelphia socialite, who approached Benjamin Franklin, who at 81 was wizened but still sharp.
TL;DR
- Benjamin Franklin famously stated that the new American government was a "republic, if you can keep it."
- This quote underscores the fragility of liberty and self-governance.
- As America nears the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the article questions if the nation remains the republic Franklin envisioned.
- The piece does not claim the American experiment has failed but asks if the U.S. is moving towards a late-stage Roman model rather than Franklin's vision.