Publisher’s Perspective: America’s survival for 250 years is no accident

I’ve been watching the CNN series “The Land,” six documentaries capturing the political, geographic, economic and, in a sense, psychological evolution of America.

The stories range from how construction of the Erie Canal helped transform New York City into a world center of commerce to how Secretary of State William Seward’s purchase of Alaska in 1867, dismissed at the time as “Seward’s Folly,” culminated in the largest oil discovery in the nation’s history.

One of the series’ strengths is that the stories are told by both historians and descendants of the people involved in these pivotal events. We hear from descendants of President James Monroe, who helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase, and from descendants of William Clark and Sacagawea, key figures in the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Another episode features African American sisters who purchased the plantation house and part of the surrounding land in the Mississippi Delta where their ancestor endured the brutality of slavery. We also hear from a descendant of George Donner, leader of the ill-fated Donner Party.

The series raises—and partially answers—the question: How and why has America endured for 250 years? Having watched the series and reflected on that question, here are my answers:

• The Constitution: There are three branches of government, two houses of Congress, and a clear division of powers between the states and the federal government. That structure created the separation of powers, as well as checks and balances.

Those features have made it relatively difficult to pass new laws and, for most of our history, have fostered stability while encouraging a culture of compromise. Our constitutional system has also helped limit the kind of government corruption that has plagued many nations around the world.

• Geography: The country began as a narrow ribbon of settlements along the East Coast. To the west lay a vast continent rich in natural resources and largely unsettled by European Americans. There was room to grow in both population and economic opportunity without immediately confronting neighboring powers.

That expansion, however, came at an enormous human cost. As the nation grew, it displaced, brutalized and killed tens of thousands of Native Americans. We Americans have not done everything right.

• Innovation: Americans are no smarter than people elsewhere. But we have consistently turned our intelligence and creativity into remarkable achievements, from the cotton gin and the telegraph to the telephone, electric light bulb, steam engine, airplane, radio, television, satellite and computer.

“The Land” describes the Erie Canal, linking the Great Lakes to the Hudson River, as the engineering feat of its era. A few decades later, the transcontinental railroad—particularly its tunnels through the Sierra Nevada—became the engineering marvel of the mid-1800s. Likewise, the trans-Alaska pipeline stands as one of the country’s greatest engineering accomplishments.

One incident that made an impression on me occurred in 2021 when Hurricane Ida knocked out power to Jackson, Mississippi. Water pressure collapsed throughout the city’s system, leaving 150,000 residents, along with hospitals and businesses, without running water while broken pipes compounded the crisis.

I remember thinking, “Those people are in a pickle. A situation like that can’t possibly be fixed quickly.”

Then engineers restored service in just two days.

I found myself thinking, “Only in America.”

The foundation of our scientific, technological, literary and artistic achievements has been our education system, particularly higher education. The United States has one of the world’s most highly educated workforces, and its universities continue to attract students and researchers from around the globe.

The American tradition of opportunity has also encouraged entrepreneurship, innovation and a willingness to take risks—qualities that have fueled extraordinary economic and technological growth.

• Perseverance and resilience: Americans work hard. And we don’t give up. (I hope most of our young people still embrace those values.)

One example is the 19th-century pioneers, including women, who cleared land, built irrigation systems, and planted and harvested crops. A modern example is Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who worked for weeks with almost no sleep writing code for one of the earliest minicomputers. Their work ultimately led to the founding of Microsoft.

“The Land” offers numerous examples of Americans enduring tremendous hardship in service of a greater good. One is Kit Carson, who during the Mexican-American War walked 25 miles barefoot across the California desert to San Diego to tell U.S. Marines that troops inland desperately needed help.

A few days ago, I heard a radio story about John “Snowshoe” Thompson. In 1855, the government sought someone willing to carry mail between Genoa, Nevada, and Placerville, Calif., an assignment requiring travel across the Sierra Nevada.

Thompson carved his own skis and carried an 80-pound mailbag. He completed the 180-mile round trip twice each month for two decades. On one occasion, he carried three men on his back through a blinding blizzard.

Like many of today’s volunteer firefighters, he was never paid. He simply believed it was his duty.

• Respect for individuals and helping neighbors: We aren’t perfect, and there have been some serious lapses in the last few years, but on the whole, we respect people regardless of their race, nationality, religion, political views or sexual orientation.

And from the barn raisings of the 19th Century to GoFundMe, when people need help, we pitch in. As publisher of the newspaper, I’ve seen an outpouring of generosity more times than I can remember.

So Happy Birthday, America. Or as one America250 banner I saw put it, “America is awesome.”