1. how has our understanding of the first sentence of the declaration of independence changed over time?

There's an aspirational quality to the founding spirit of our nation. We want to not only carry our own weight but contribute to society. We want to use our freedom to work together and create communities. We want to better ourselves, do all we can to make sure our children will be better off than we are and create a better world. We believe that everybody should have the opportunity to make better lives for themselves.