National security

Britain’s Declaration of Independence

As we confront political upheaval at home and abroad, the Fourth of July is an opportune time to ground ourselves in America’s founding principles. In an article in last week’s Washington Post, Steve Pincus, a history professor at Yale University, seeks to do just that in light of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union. But with all due respect to Pincus, the history does not support the open-border stance he advocates in the essay.
Pincus chastises those who liken Brexit to the United States’ Declaration of Independence. America’s “founders called for a government that would allow for free movement of goods and peoples,” while Britain’s Leave campaign, he says, was fueled by the desire to control immigration. He characterizes the Founders as championing open borders to welcome all. But that is historically inaccurate.   It is imperative that we keep our facts straight. The stakes are high. The courts rely on such history as precedent that shapes modern law.