Jul 1, 2026 – 8.47amAmerica, a quarter of a millennium ago, was where the words of the European Enlightenment became flesh. In the 13 colonies’ Declaration of Independence, the dreams of the new age’s rationalists, free thinkers and anti-monarchists were made actual.Power comes from the people, they said. Rulers must govern with the consent of the governed. “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” they asserted. They were right, which is why Britain had lost the battle for America’s soul before the first cannonballs were exchanged.Financial TimesSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles