In honor of America 250, I’ve re-released my first book, Dreams From Our Founding Fathers (2011), with a new introduction. Friends and supporters have asked me to do this over the years, but I didn’t want to mass market the book, so we’ve only released 1776 copies — all signed and numbered by me. Check it out at desantis1776.com

Shock and awe.

And if it wasn’t for America the insignia on the pub would be written in German.

President Grant’s proclamation commemorating America’s centennial celebration: “I therefore invite the good people of the United States, on the approaching 4th day of July, in addition to the usual observances with which they are accustomed to greet the return of the day, further, in such manner and at such time as in their respective localities and religious associations may be most convenient, to mark its recurrence by some public religious and devout thanksgiving to Almighty God for the blessings which have been bestowed upon us as a nation during the century of our existence, and humbly to invoke a continuance of His favor and of His protection.”

The approval of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on the 4th of July, 1776 represented the ultimate political gamble. The American revolutionaries were fighting against the world’s most powerful country, and the vast majority of colonists in America either opposed or were indifferent to independence. While the odds were slim, the consequences for failure were severe. All 56 men who later signed the Declaration faced an assured death by hanging were the Revolution to fail. And they had a lot to lose. The leaders of the Revolution were generally wealthy and influential in the colonies. But they had suffered what Jefferson called a “long train of abuses” over the previous decade, and believed that failure to take a stand would lead to the destruction of their liberty. So when they pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, they meant it. The Declaration was the ultimate political line in the sand: rights are God-given, not government-granted; government is legitimate only upon the consent of the governed; and government’s purpose is to safeguard the natural rights of the people. What began as a conservative rebellion seeking the preservation of traditional English rights evolved into a political revolution that laid the foundation for the rise of the greatest republic in history — and that produced transformational consequences around the world. We as Americans in 2026 are inheritors of this legacy of liberty and the beneficiaries of the courage, wisdom and dedication of the Founding Fathers. We can acknowledge that our society and nation face a lot of problems. Whether there will be an America 500 celebration may very well depend on how this generation of Americans tackle these challenges. But there can be no doubt that we are fortunate to be citizens of this republic. And we have a small group of patriots, who took a risky stand 250 years ago, to thank for that. Happy America 250!

The approval of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on the 4th of July, 1776 represented the ultimate political gamble. The American revolutionaries were fighting against the world’s most powerful country, and the vast majority of colonists in America either opposed or were indifferent to independence. While the odds were slim, the consequences for failure were severe. All 56 men who later signed the Declaration faced an assured death by hanging were the Revolution to fail. And they had a lot to lose. The leaders of the Revolution were generally wealthy and influential in the colonies. But they had suffered what Jefferson called a “long train of abuses” over the previous decade, and believed that failure to take a stand would lead to the destruction of their liberty. So when they pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, they meant it. The Declaration was the ultimate political line in the sand: rights are God-given, not government-granted; government is legitimate only upon the consent of the governed; and government’s purpose is to safeguard the natural rights of the people. What began as a conservative rebellion seeking the preservation of traditional English rights evolved into a political revolution that laid the foundation for the rise of the greatest republic in history — and that produced transformational consequences around the world. We as Americans in 2026 are inheritors of this legacy of liberty and the beneficiaries of the courage, wisdom and dedication of the Founding Fathers. We can acknowledge that our society and nation face a lot of problems. Whether there will be an America 500 celebration may very well depend on how this generation of Americans tackle these challenges. But there can be no doubt that we are fortunate to be citizens of this republic. And we have a small group of patriots, who took a risky stand 250 years ago, to thank for that. Happy America 250!

Absolutely that needs to be part of the analysis. Some with post-hurricane when there may be power interruptions.

No doubt. If we save on fuel costs, reduce mishaps through FSD and get lower insurance rates, that could be some real benefits for taxpayers when applied across the fleet. And from a law enforcement/performance perspective, the Teslas are very fast and powerful. I’d imagine that would stack up favorably to legacy vehicles.

Thank you. Yes, that new introduction articulates some major challenges to tackle if we want to keep faith with the spirit of 1776. desantis1776.com

On America 250 be a Coolidge, not a Mamdani.

Another beautiful gift by a great ally of the USA!

We put a lot of effort into all of our America250 efforts!

Florida would go to 34 electoral votes; it had 6 in 1960.

If a foreigner hates America, fine. But why then become a citizen here? Better yet, why would the US allow someone to become a citizen who hates the country?

NYT is pushing a narrative because they don’t like Elon.

Surprise, surprise.

The vote to cut ties with Great Britain and the approval and later signing of the Declaration of Independence represented the ultimate line in the sand. The penalty for failure = execution for treason.

Is pineapple on pizza really an argument?