Everything About America’s Success … Was Unlikely

With the world’s leading economy and its most powerful military, the United States of America is the very definition of a superpower. But none of that was inevitable. In fact, it was pretty unlikely.

Some people attribute America’s success to its geography or vast natural resources. Others to a kind of divine protection. But these explanations overlook just how unlikely our success actually was.

Think about how things looked in 1776: Two and a half million Americans (mostly farmers) from 13 colonies — most of which didn’t like or trust each other — pitted against a globe-spanning empire. And yet, somehow, we won.

But that was just the beginning of our struggles. America’s government nearly fell apart under the Articles of Confederation — and then we replaced it with a constitution, a form of government that had a very thin track record. Less than a century later, the Civil War once again drove us to the brink of annihilation.

Our extraordinary success continues into the present. While history is full of countries that tore themselves apart over racial, ethnic, or cultural tensions … that hasn’t happened in the U.S. Why? Because — as polling shows — Americans actually believe in what our founding documents say, from accepting people of diverse backgrounds to believing in individual freedoms and the right to vote.

📝 SCRIPT
📚 ADDITIONAL READING
✅ SOURCES
AND MORE at kiteandkey.media/4iHM6z5

The world is complicated … but the explanations don’t have to be. ⚡ New videos every Wednesday.

SUBSCRIBE to Kite & Key on YouTube:
bit.ly/YouTubeKiteAndKey

FOLLOW Kite & Key on your favorite social channel:
www.facebook.com/kiteandkeymedia
www.twitter.com/kiteandkeymedia
www.instagram.com/kiteandkeymedia/
www.linkedin.com/company/kite-and-key-media/
www.tiktok.com/@kiteandkeymedia
www.threads.net/@kiteandkeymedia

MUSIC IDS: QDK3TD6CTQWHEY0S, YSBMXDVJ61C4OY