Braver Angels 2026
National Convention

In 2026, the United States marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This anniversary invites more than remembrance. It invites recommitment. Our 250th calls us to honor where the journey began and to decide, together, how we will carry it forward.

That is why we are proud to announce the theme of the 2026 Braver Angels National Convention:

1776 to 2026: A Pledge Renewed.

The unique American story began in 1776 as a still-unfinished journey grounded in liberty, equality, and shared self-government. It was forged not through birth or land, but through commitment to these principles. Every generation since has inherited both the promise and the responsibility of that work. The question is whether we remain willing to walk together.

At the heart of the founding was a striking truth: the Declaration of Independence was not only a statement of separation from a king, it was also a declaration of dependence on one another. After months of sharp disagreement, the signers closed with a pledge not just to a cause, but to each other:

“We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

This pledge committed them to hold together in the face of mortal threat from England and create a new kind of nation. This is the spirit we renew in 2026.

Pride, Pain, and the Strength of the American Idea

The American founding is defined first by its soaring, world-changing ideals of liberty and self-government, ideals that have fueled extraordinary progress for 250 years. Yet the fuller truth is that our founding also carried deep contradictions, proclaiming universal principles while applying them unequally.

The journey toward a “more perfect Union” is, by nature, unfinished; a journey which each generation must embrace and pursue. It is the strength of the original American idea that has enabled us to strive toward fulfilling the promise of the Declaration. That enduring commitment to an exceptional civic vision—tested across time—is the interdependence we celebrate today.

A Defining Moment on the Courageous Citizenship Journey

America’s 250th will focus national attention on how we live together as a people, prompting millions to reflect on who we are and who we hope to become. The 2026 Braver Angels National Convention in Philadelphia will be a central moment in that reflection.

This gathering is not simply a commemoration. It is a milestone on the courageous citizenship journey, where citizens renew the skills and build the relationships that self-government requires. Courageous citizenship asks us to speak honestly without contempt, listen without caricature, and stay engaged when retreat to our own tribes is easier.

In Philadelphia, we will:

• Recommit to Courageous Citizenship, engaging across political differences the Braver Angels Way
  
  
• Connect local community efforts to a larger national renewal
  
  
• And affirm our shared responsibility for the future of the great American experiment

The founders pledged their lives and honor to launch a nation. Our pledge today is different but still demanding in the pursuit of a more perfect union: we accept our responsibility to bring humility, courage, and persistence to the work of building trust and strengthening the bonds of citizenship.

Interdependence Without Illusion

Interdependence does not deny difference; it dignifies it. It does not erase conflict, it prevents conflict from becoming destructive. It does not weaken liberty, it protects it by recognizing that freedom endures only when citizens unite their strength to defend it.

True interdependence insists that rural conservatives and urban progressives, religious and secular citizens, activists and traditionalists do not have to agree in order to remain bound together. It affirms that every group brings dignity and distinct experiences, and that our shared future depends on facing common challenges together.

Philadelphia: Where the Journey Began—and Continues

There is no more fitting place to gather than Philadelphia, the city where the original pledge was debated, shaped, and signed. When we convene there in June 2026, we will be continuing a journey carried forward by every generation since.

The promise of liberty still requires trust. Self-government still requires the courage to engage those we disagree with. The task of forming a more perfect union still belongs to us.

In 2026, Braver Angels will mark its tenth anniversary, a reminder that our own journey is now part of this larger national story. For ten years, tens of thousands of Americans have chosen to step toward one another across divides. That work now meets this historic moment, as individual courage fuels community action with national impact.

1776 to 2026: A Pledge Renewed is an invitation to recommit not in nostalgia, but in practice; not in abstraction, but in action; not alone, but together.

We invite you to join us in Philadelphia for this defining moment on the courageous citizenship journey—where we renew the pledge to one another, to this country, and to the shared responsibility of building a stronger, freer, more united future.

— Jeff Thiemann, Braver Angels Leadership Team