As the nation prepares to commemorate 250 years of hard-won independence, a powerful warning echoes from the highest court in the land: America’s precious founding freedoms are not guaranteed. They are, in fact, incredibly fragile, and their preservation for future generations hinges entirely on whether citizens truly understand their history, embrace civic education, and actively participate in the system of government given to them by our Founders. This urgent message comes directly from three stalwart conservative Supreme Court justices – Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett – who are sounding the alarm in a series of interviews released by the esteemed Federalist Society.
Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett reflect on America's founding principles and urge Americans to embrace civic education and engagement to preserve the nation's freedoms for future generations. (Federalist Society)
These three conservative justices were united in their call for civic education, each imploring Americans to familiarize themselves with their system of government and the history behind it to ensure that the nation’s legacy is preserved. The interviews, filmed by the Federalist Society, come ahead of their 2026 National Lawyers Convention, which spotlights "250 Years of American Exceptionalism."
Justice Gorsuch, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, offers a distinctly profound and religious perspective. He articulates a truth often forgotten in a secularizing society:
GORSUCH HIGHLIGHTS STAGGERING DECLINE IN CIVIC LITERACY THAT PROMPTED HIM TO AUTHOR NEW BOOK
Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch discussing America's 250th anniversary. (Federalist Society)
"I think it's very easy to take the rights granted in our Constitution and the ideals expressed in the Declaration for granted," he said. "They are, for us, a little bit like the air we breathe and the water a fish might swim in. They seem natural to us, but they weren't in 1776. The ideas in the Declaration of Independence that all of us are created equal, that every one of us has God-given rights — they don't come from government, they come from God." His message is clear: these are not mere government handouts, but divine endowments that demand vigilance and gratitude. Gorsuch further highlights the staggering decline in civic literacy, stressing the importance of historical study to the preservation of the American way of life.
THE UNWINNABLE WAR AMERICA'S FOUNDING FATHERS FOUGHT AND WON CHANGED HUMAN HISTORY FOREVER
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts, Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Justice Amy Coney Barrett and retired Justice Anthony Kennedy attend President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS)
"Our country is a blessing from God, and that we owe great thanks for it, and we have great responsibility for it," Gorsuch went on. "The reason why our Constitution and Declaration have survived is because people choose it anew in every generation. You need to know its history. You need to know what you're preserving. Daniel Webster said it took 6,000 years for us to generate a system of government like this. Don't expect that to happen easily or again."
Justice Kavanaugh, whose own confirmation battle in 2018 exposed the depths of partisan warfare, passionately underscores the role of education.
"I think our education system is absolutely fundamental to ensuring that in the next 250 years, we preserve this republic and improve upon this republic. So, teaching American history, teaching the values of this country, the history of this country, why this country exists, how this country has been preserved, how this country has been improved over time, for example, by our constitutional amendment process and otherwise," the justice said.
"And I think all of us should be constantly striving to ensure civics education, not only for our youth, but for all of us, and that we constantly are learning and participating in our system of government," he continued. Kavanaugh’s call is for continuous learning and active participation, a stark contrast to the passive consumption of modern media narratives.
SPEAKER JOHNSON WARNS STUDENTS ARE 'INDOCTRINATED' TO SEE US THROUGH 'WRONG LENSES' AS NATION CELEBRATES 250TH
John Roberts, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, from left, Elena Kagan, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and Amy Coney Barrett, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, during a State of the Union address in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Justice Barrett, another principled Trump appointee, directs attention to the very bedrock of our nation: the Declaration of Independence. "We're not passive observers in the American project. We're participants in it. It is our project," she declares. Barrett evokes the powerful ‘mutual pledge’ made by the Declaration’s signatories – their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor – and their unwavering commitment to that promise. "Surely that's the kind of commitment that it takes to have it keep going forward," she added. This, she argues, is the kind of dedication required to keep the American experiment alive, a powerful reminder that freedom is not free, but bought with sacrifice and sustained by honor.
While the conservative justices offered a path forward rooted in principle and faith, a dissenting note emerged from Justice Sonia Sotomayor during an event at Mount Vernon. Striking a somber and almost despairing tone, Sotomayor claimed the United States is in a "rough place" and would need "some hard work" to return to an "even keel," lamenting, "There are some norms we may have lost forever. But I don’t think that we will fail as a democracy. But I think we’re going to have a hard patch figuring out what that means." This perspective, often heard from the progressive left, paints a picture of a nation in decline, seemingly devoid of the intrinsic strength and God-given resilience that Gorsuch highlighted. It underscores a fundamental philosophical divide: the conservative belief in the enduring power of American principles versus the progressive tendency to see systemic failure and permanent loss.
The unified message from Justices Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett is a clarion call to action for every American who cherishes freedom. In a time when foundational truths are constantly challenged, and revisionist history seeks to undermine our national identity, their urgent plea for civic literacy, historical understanding, and active participation stands as a bulwark against encroaching apathy and radical ideologies. It is a powerful affirmation of the America First spirit – that our nation’s future is not predetermined, but is a sacred trust, renewed in each generation by those who understand, protect, and live by the God-given principles upon which this exceptional republic was founded. Preserving this republic, they remind us, is not merely a political task; it is a profound moral responsibility.
