Ron and Ed turn their attention to the upcoming Semiquintcentennial, with a little theatrical flair thrown in from Ed and his turn as John Adams in 1776. Along the way, they reflect on the ideas, personalities, and historical drama surrounding America’s 250th anniversary—and what those themes might still teach us about leadership, liberty, and public life today. If time permits, they’ll also weigh in on a few timely developments in the accounting profession and the ever-fascinating world of pricing.
SHOW NOTES
Segment one
The Semiquincentennial is the official 250th anniversary of the United States, marking the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026. Also known as the Quarter Millennium.
1776 (musical) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1776_(musical)
Yes, Thomas Jefferson did include a fiery, 168-word anti-slavery passage in his initial draft of the Declaration of Independence, but it was removed by the Continental Congress before the document was finalized. https://www.history.com/articles/declaration-of-independence-deleted-anti-slavery-clause-jefferson
“Why anyone would want to leave Britain is beyond us.” America at 250 from The Economist https://x.com/TheEconomist/status/2016300249208242628
Is it unalienable or inalienable? https://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/unalienable.html
Segment two
The actor who played John Adams in the original Broadway production of 1776, William Daniels (later famous as Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World), was nominated for a Tony Award—but he actually declined the nomination because he felt the entire cast deserved recognition rather than just him. It's one of the rare instances of a performer turning down a Tony nomination.
The Americans Who Risked Everything https://www.101bananas.com/library2/limbaugh.html
18 were under 40 years old, 3 were under 20. What are we talking about? The signers of the Declaration of Independence
Evidence heavily points to Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a delegate from New Jersey, as the designer of the American flag. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/betsy-ross-likely-didnt-sew-the-first-us-flag
Segment three
“A land, perhaps, the only one in the universe, in which political or civil liberty is the very end and scope of the constitution.” —Sir William Blackstone
“The American, is the Englishman left to himself.” —Alexis de Tocqueville
Liberty “can be lost, and it will be, if the time ever comes when these documents are regarded not as the supreme expression of our profound belief, but merely as curiosities in glass cases.” —Harry Truman
“The President himself is no more than a representative of public opinion at the time of his election; and as public opinion is subject to great and frequent fluctuations, he must accommodate his policy to them; or the people will speedily give him a successor; or either House of Congress will effectually control his power.” —John Quincy Adams https://lonang.com/library/reference/jqadams-jubilee-constitution-1839/
The "original" First Amendment passed by Congress in 1789 was an unratified proposal detailing a formula to continuously increase the size of the House of Representatives as the population grew. Because it failed to secure enough state ratifications, the "third" proposed amendment regarding religious, speech, and press freedoms became today's First Amendment to the United States Constitution. https://archivesfoundation.org/newsletter/10-bor-facts/
“What the Founders’ Drinking Habits Have to Do with Gun Rights” by Charles C. W. Cooke https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/03/what-the-founders-drinking-habits-have-to-do-with-gun-rights/
Segment four
Timeline of the American Revolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_American_Revolution
Lifelong frenemies Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day—July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence
“It had about it nothing of the lawless and disordered nature of a riotous insurrection. It was maintained on a plane which rises above the ordinary conception of rebellion. It was in no sense a radical movement but took on the dignity of a resistance to illegal usurpations.” —President Calvin Coolidge's 1926 speech on the 150th Anniversary
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