America’s Promise Still Matters
John Trumbull's painting, Declaration of Independence, depicts the five-man drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence presenting their work to Congress. The painting can be found on the back of the U.S. $2 bill. The original hangs in the US Capitol rotunda.
July 1, 2026
By Julia Olson
In 1777, John Adams (our second President) wrote to his wife Abigail about the freedom they had declared for future generations:
"Posterity! You will never know, how much it cost the present Generation, to preserve your Freedom! I hope you will make a good Use of it."
Rest assured, the youth today are making good use of it, John Adams.
The Declaration of Independence named the vision: that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness be protected for all people, and for our posterity yet to come. That we are all created equal. The Constitution gave us the tools to make that vision real. And for 250 years, generation after generation has picked up those tools and done the hard work of bending this country closer to its founding ideals.
Independence from a totalitarian king. The end of legalized slavery. The end of legalized segregation. Women's right to vote. Labor laws that protect children. The right of anyone to marry whomever they choose.
None of it was easy. None of it happened without people who refused to give up. Our work is not done.
I have spent two decades in courtrooms alongside young people who refuse to accept that their generation will be the one to lose what every generation before them fought to protect. I have never once lost faith that we are on the right path, changing our country for the better, for our posterity.
That faith is not passive. It requires all of us to show up. There are tactical attacks on most of these achievements for equal rights and the pursuit of happiness happening right now, and there are millions of Americans stepping up to resist and renew. Our youth plaintiffs are among them, using their U.S. and State Constitutions in courts of law to make real meaning of the Declaration’s vision, which today requires independence from a fossil fuel state and a worsening climate crisis. If you look around the world today, beneath the corruption and violence flows oil and gas. Friends, we can stop this. We can. Not with violence and hatred. But hand in hand, holding the Declaration and the Constitution. Shining a light on science and uplifting the voices and hearts of children through democratic acts of love.
The founding vision was for a country that valued what children would inherit across generations. That is exactly what our youth plaintiffs and we are working for today.
If you believe in protecting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as core human values, stick with us. When your faith lapses and your hope wanes, return to our collective vision. Every act of corruption creates an opportunity for change. We have tools. And when we pool our vision and resource ourselves in community, we make good use of what was created 250 years ago.
Juliana v. United States plaintiffs reunited with their legal team at Our Children’s Trust in Oregon in May 2026 for a special gathering. Over a decade after filing their landmark constitutional climate case, they came together to reflect on the journey they’ve shared and the work that continues. Their commitment is a powerful reminder that each generation has a strong responsibility to make good use of the freedoms and constitutional tools entrusted to them, and to protect them for those who come next.