Two Hundred and Fifty Years of Freedom
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
July 3, 2026
Here in South Dakota, we still honor America, our freedoms, and our Founding Fathers. Proof of that can be found in places like Mount Rushmore. The four leaders are carved in granite – the images of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt are built to last for generations. Their leadership will not be forgotten. More importantly, the principles, the values, and the freedoms they stood for carry just as much weight today as they did 250 years ago. Because of their vision, America is not just a piece of land. America is an ideal. A set of values. A shining City on the Hill. An example to the world of freedom.
One hundred years ago, President Calvin Coolidge said, as he commemorated the 150th anniversary of America:
“About the Declaration, there is a finality that is exceedingly restful. It is often asserted that the world has made a great deal of progress since 1776… and that we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern. But that reasoning cannot be applied to this great charter. If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just power from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions. If anyone wishes to deny their truth or their soundness, the only direction in which he can proceed historically is not forward – but backward toward the time when there was no equality, no rights of the individual, no rule of the people.”
Those are powerful words from a great leader who loved the Black Hills of South Dakota!
Six years ago, On July 3, 2020, we were joined by the same kind of leader, President Donald J. Trump. President Trump helped bring back fireworks to Mount Rushmore. And when he took office again, we got right back to work. Under the Trump Administration, the lines of communication with Washington are back open. Our state can partner with federal agencies and influence change at the highest levels with just a phone call. We have a President who puts the American people first – American safety first – and American freedom first.
My mission as Governor of South Dakota is to keep our state strong, safe, and free. Like America is to the world, South Dakota has been a beacon of hope for what is possible when we keep government limited – when we remain true to America’s values and our freedoms. Here, we recognize that our rights, liberties, and freedoms are given to us by God – not by government – and government has no authority to take them away.
America isn’t perfect. Lord knows that challenges will arise. But America has overcome challenges for 250 years and turned them into opportunities. And we will continue to do that by holding true to the ideals of the four men on Mount Rushmore. They stand as a testament to leadership. To courage. To bold vision. And to an unshakable belief in the protection of our freedom.
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