Few words in history have had a greater impact than the preamble to the Declaration of Independence.

As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, an in-depth look into the events that led to our quest for freedom makes sense.

Santa Barbara’s Channel City Club was honored to have Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward J. Larson share insights from his book, Declaring Independence — Why 1776 Matters.

The words “life, liberty and happiness” are a powerful reminder of what the American experiment was and still is all about.

Larson has an amazing background with distinguished academic appointments worldwide. He currently is a history professor at Pepperdine University and holds the Hugh and Hazel Darling Chair in Law there.

His Sept. 23 presentation provided an amazing review of the events that changed the course of history for our nation and around the world.

Larson spoke about the “Spirit of 1776” that evolved from a desire for rights and reconciliation with England to a fight for liberty and independence in 1776.

The fight was between the Rule of man (e.g., King George III) to the Rule of law with freely, fairly and frequent elections by the people.

Contrary to popular belief, the path to freedom was not simple or fast. Larson noted that between January and June 1776, more than 90 local declarations were adopted by county grand juries, town meetings and provincial assemblies in the colonies.

He said the Continental Congress acted only after the American public had already made the decision for them.

The fires for freedom were fanned by leaders with great vision, men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams and Benjamin Frankin.

Another powerful voice was Thomas Paine. His anonymous 47-page pamphlet, “Common Sense,” was published on Jan. 10, 1776, and quickly became one of the most widely read political works in the colonies.

“Common Sense” was read aloud in taverns, meeting places and homes, making the case that American independence was not simply a colonial dispute but part of a much larger human struggle for liberty.

It forcefully argued for American independence from Great Britain, declaring that “the cause of America is the cause of men worldwide.”

Larson provided a summary showing 1776 by the numbers. Here are some interesting facts he shared:

• 2.5 million — Estimated total population of the 13 colonies 
• 1 in 5 — Approximate proportion of population enslaved
• 40/20/40 split — Early 1776 sentiment for independence, loyalty to the British crown and neutrality/reconciliation
• 56 — Signers of the Declaration of Independence
• 15/29/37 days — Time required for official news of the Declaration to travel from Philadelphia to Boston; Charleston, South Carolina; and to reach London
• 19,000/3,000 — Strength of Washington’s Continental Army in July 1776 and remaining battle-worthy troops by December 1776

I left the presentation in awe and gratitude for the vision and wisdom of our nation’s founders, and in the incredibly powerful human desire for Life, Liberty and Happiness.

Our ancestors fought for fair, free and frequent elections over the rule of a king — and changed the world forever.

I am reminded of the famous exchange attributed to Franklin at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. When asked whether the new nation was a republic or a monarchy, Franklin reportedly replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Now 250 years later, Franklin’s warning still resonates.

A republic is not something we inherit once and preserve forever. It depends on citizens who understand their rights, respect the rule of law, participate in their government, and accept the responsibilities that come with self-government.

The experiment that began in 1776 was never guaranteed to succeed. Perhaps that is the most important lesson of all.

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