What is an American? An American is a person who understands that reality exists independent of any Authority’s manmade will, and that human beings are born with a nature that includes the capacity for reason and moral choice. An American recognizes that rights are pre-political, existing before and above any Man or government of Men, and that man, though capable of great virtue, is a flawed and limited being who must be restrained by laws and by his own conscience. An American trusts that truth can be discovered through honest inquiry and open debate, and that knowledge grows when it is tested against experience and the counsel of others. An American holds that life, liberty, purpose and the dignity of the individual are not granted by governments but are part of the order of the world. To be an American is to live with the conviction that freedom is not a license to do whatever one pleases, but a moral trust that demands self-restraint, respect for the rights of others, and a duty to safeguard and strengthen liberty for future generations. An American lives under covenant. To be an American is not only to claim rights but to accept obligations, a bond that unites all Americans and the generations who will inherit it. This covenant is not written only in constitutions or laws, but in the moral conscience that binds free people to respect truth, justice, and the dignity of their fellow man. It is a pledge that liberty will be preserved not by force alone, but by virtue, restraint, and common purpose. The American covenant is thus a trust: that each generation will take up the duty of self-government, keeping faith with those who came before and preparing the ground for those yet to come.