American created democracy in the modern world. When we ratified our Constitution in 1798 all the other countries in the world were hereditary monarchies. Two hundred thirty years later that Constitution is still working for us with only 27 amendments. Of those 10 were part of the original deal and passed the same year that the Constitution was ratified, so we really only have 17 amendments as later thoughts on how things ought to be.
We ended slavery. It took the worst war we ever fought to do it, but the Union won, and they abolished slavery. We lost 600,000 men fighting the Civil War, worse than all the other wars we ever fought, all put together. We followed up with the civil rights legislation of the 1960s.
We showed the world what capitalism could do. People believe the streets are paved with gold in America. That is because of the wealth American capitalism created. American labor unions defeated communism by winning decent wages for the workers. America (with a good deal of help from the Russians and the British) defeated the Nazis and the Japanese in WWII.
Americans are inventive. Cotton gin, electric telegraph, steamboats, revolvers and repeating firearms, telephone, incandescent light, gyrocompass, airplanes. America launched the first missions to the Moon.
Forth of July is coming right up. We should be proud of our country. We have done good work over the years.
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