Happy Birthday America. You look pretty good for a 250-year-old.
As seen in The Oakland Press July 5th, 2026 |
Happy Birthday America. You look pretty good for a 250-year-old.by Ken Morris My profession is financial advisor, but my passion is American History. And as we celebrate USA 250, I feel very fortunate to be an American. I understand that there’s a segment of the population that will always be critical and unhappy, but that’s their problem. Our ancestors did plenty of heavy lifting to lay the foundation of our country. They established the blueprints for all aspects of our daily lives, including financial freedom. Were there mistakes along the way? Of course. Are there chapters in our history that we wish never happened? Most definitely. Life is far from perfect and things were especially challenging 250 years ago. But what made, and continues to make, our nation great is our resilience and the desire to get it right. No matter how long it takes. Alexander Hamilton, our first Secretary of the Treasury, planted the seeds for our financial structure. He was instrumental in establishing the dollar as our currency and his policies helped create our entrepreneurial economy. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson authorized the Lewis and Clark expedition. Nobody knew what to expect from this journey into the unknown. They crossed paths with a variety of Native American cultures. Fortunately, they had assistance along the way from some of the natives, including Sacajawea, whose face now graces a $1 U.S. coin. Several years later, the Atlantic and Pacific were connected by the railroads, which were vital to the development of our country. Ultimately, the automobile created the mobile society, which drives us today. Many amenities ensued that have made our daily lives significantly better. Our founding fathers and their families were born into a world without electricity, plumbing, refrigeration, air conditioning and easy access to water. Not to mention the myriad medical advances that have improved our lives. It’s easy to forget that so many things we enjoy in our everyday lives weren’t around back then. And when they were invented or discovered, we considered them luxuries. We can only speculate what the next 250 years will bring. But, with a great sense of optimism, I sense that the spirit of American adventure may be rekindling. Why do I feel that way? Well, the next frontier is space, and I have some clients who have always invested conservatively. Ultra conservatively in some cases. Yet today, many are eager and excited to get some “futuristic” investments into their portfolios. I believe this attitude may have been jump started by the recent Artemis mission. And the momentum has continued with Elon Musk’s recent public stock offering, and the technological advancements in AI. I have no idea what our nation will look like on its 500th birthday, but I do know it will be significantly different. New technologies and expansion into space will bring new investment opportunities. And, as with the auto industry, there will be successes and failures. There is never a sure thing and there’s an element of risk in everything. Just because something is new, it isn’t always a guaranteed success. A good example is the automobile. It wasn’t a big deal until Henry Ford’s assembly line. Happy birthday USA. You may not be perfect, but you must be doing something right. After all, you’re the place where so many people want to live and raise their families. |
