I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.

As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances. Institutions must

advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat

which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their

barbarous ancestors.

Thomas Jefferson.

Change.

It is, as the old cliche goes, the one constant in the world.

When America's third president wrote those words, it took weeks or even months for a letter to travel to its destination.

The fastest ship in the world could barely go over 20 miles per hour.

The population of the country was less than 10 million, spread over 18 states.

Since then, the United States has grown to over 300 million people and 50 states, and it's even sent men to land on the moon.

Today, Americans and people around the world can communicate with someone on the other side of the world instantaneously.

The founders may not have envisioned all of this, but they knew that the republic they founded would face new situations

and wrestle with new ideas. America was founded in the 18th century on a set of principles,

the idea that all men are created equal, that they are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of

happiness. And it adopted policies it felt were

consistent with those principles. But whenever dramatic change happened, whether it was economic,

social, or technological change, Americans found themselves asking, how do we apply our ideals

to new situations? What does it mean to be an American in these new times?

Were America's principles still relevant?

Did the country need new policies or maybe even new principles altogether?

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