A heat wave is gripping the nation, a private crew from Houston is headed to the International Space Station, and California is seeing a rise in measles cases. These headlines may seem unrelated, but together they remind us of how often complex public policy debates boil down to one familiar phrase: “Trust the science.”
That impulse—to turn to knowledge and reasoned inquiry—has been with us since the country’s founding. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin often spoke of “natural knowledge,” or the careful observation and exploration of the physical world through evidence and experimentation.
As we celebrate the Fourth of July, it’s tempting to focus on what divides us. But moments like this also invite us to return to what has always bound us together: a shared commitment to learning and discovery. It was this pursuit—not just of self-government, but of knowledge—that helped the founding generation secure independence and build a fragile young nation. It will take the same spirit to help us navigate today’s uncertainty and divisions and strengthen the bonds of citizenship.
Absent a national education system, many early Americans embraced “self-improvement” and “useful knowledge” as ways to elevate the individual and strengthen the republic. Without nobility or inherited land, intellectual attainment became a defining characteristic of leadership. Our founders viewed knowledge not just as personal advancement, but as a civic virtue to equip citizens for leadership in law, agriculture, the clergy, military service, and public office.
The Revolutionary generation took pride in preparing for public life through college literary societies, philosophy clubs, and lyceums – community gatherings for lectures and debates. Thomas Jefferson, father of the Declaration of Independence and later founder of the University of Virginia, wrote about the link between self-governance and an informed citizenry, explaining in one famous letter, “Freedom [is] the first-born daughter of science.”
This pursuit of knowledge—especially science—persisted into antebellum America. DeWitt Clinton, the influential New York politician and visionary behind the Erie Canal, wasn’t just a political leader—he was a naturalist and amateur scientist who conducted scientific investigations and gave public lectures aimed at broadening understanding.
For Clinton, science was a unifying force in a fragile young nation. A republic grounded in reason and observation, he argued, could resist corruption, prevent “debility and decay,” and cultivate a stronger citizenry. For Clinton, the construction of the Erie Canal was as much about civic renewal as economic infrastructure.
This tradition persisted with figures like Edward L. Youmans. Born on a New York farm in 1821, Youmans didn’t come from a notable family or attend elite schools —his name even derives from yeoman, a self-reliant commoner. He entered a society—not so different from today’s—where popular politics, strains of early capitalism, migrations, and social divisions challenged the values of the Revolutionary generation.
At a time when education was still out of reach for many, Youmans believed in the power of natural knowledge to uplift ordinary Americans. His life’s work culminated in founding Popular Science Monthly, a journal translating complex ideas for the public. Like the Founders, Youmans saw natural knowledge as essential not only for personal growth but for national unity.
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Where the Revolutionary generation recognized the value of science in elevating the nation, it persisted largely as a gentleman’s pursuit. Clinton and Youmans experienced the increasing democratization of knowledge and helped make the case for why it should be accessible and useful to all Americans. Today, thanks to technology and artificial intelligence, we have access to more information than the founders could have ever imagined. But the challenge isn’t access—it’s cultivating the same spirit of curiosity and civic responsibility they championed.
This year, my family will celebrate the Fourth of July at my parents’ home, where my late father’s telescope still sits prominently in the living room—a reminder of him and his love of learning. Every year, the grandkids spend as much time trying to figure out how to see the stars as they do trying to watch the fireworks. It’s worth asking what we can reclaim from that tradition.
From our earliest days, the pursuit of knowledge in this country was never just about learning—it was a civic act. It shaped our character, forged common understanding, and built a republic resilient enough to endure conflict and change. The Founders believed natural knowledge could bind us together. It still can.
Sabrina L. Schaeffer is vice president of public affairs at the R Street Institute, a think tank in Washington, DC. She is a southern California native.