The Declaration of Independence was adopted unanimously by the Second Continental Congress at the Pennsylvania State House in the colonial city of Philadelphia on July 4, 1776. The delegates from the 13 Colonies became known as the Founding Fathers, and the document describes principles of freedom and why the Colonies were no longer subject to British rule. The war against the British had begun a little over a year prior to the signing, and it would go on to last until Great Britain formally recognized the United States on Sept. 3, 1783 in the Treaty of Paris. Imagine that. Independence is declared but not fully achieved until seven years later — after struggles, tremendous suffering, sacrifice, and many moments where it seemed the British would retain sovereignty.

Ken Burns’ documentary series, “The American Revolution,” is the deepest dive I have seen or read regarding the complexities and realities of the war. European immigrants, Native Americans and enslaved and free Black colonists were loyalty-split. People changed sides throughout the war. Patriotism meant different things to individuals and groups of people. It still does today.

Patriotism is devotion and pride to a homeland and one’s fellow inhabitants. In a democracy, it can include voting for representation, running for elected office to become a public servant, doing community service work, and serving on juries. It may also mean working hard to improve or advance one’s country where equality and equity have not been fully realized.

We live in a country where Frederick Douglass (born enslaved) was an extraordinary patriot. As a proponent of full equality and voting rights, years before the Civil War (in 1853) he declared, “By birth, we are American citizens. By the principles of the Declaration of Independence, we are American citizens; within the meaning of the United States Constitution, we are American citizens; by the facts of history, and the admissions of American statesmen, we are American citizens; by the hardships and trials endured; by the courage and fidelity displayed by our ancestors in defending the liberties and in achieving the independence of our land, we are American citizens.”

Eleanor Roosevelt was another remarkable patriot. She repeatedly affirmed her devotion to the United States while working to improve the lives of marginalized and disenfranchised Americans. In 1971, Gloria Steinem asserted that patriotism is not about unquestioning allegiance to a nation’s status quo; rather it is about using civic engagement to promote human rights and to dismantle systemic oppression.

It is only in democracies where free speech is not punished that we exercise such a variety of patriotic words and actions. In the United States, patriots run the spectrum politically.  I think back to my experience at the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 when I was there for oral arguments to dismantle DOMA — the In Defense of Marriage Act — and to defeat Prop. 8 in California (which prohibited same-sex marriage). I carried a big sign that read, “Judgment against love is unkind,” and it included a tapestry of photos of same-sex couples on their wedding day. By then, I had served 556 couples as a justice of the peace in Massachusetts.

I ran into Rea Carey who was then the executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. She is also a Smith alum, and we reminisced about shared experiences in western Massachusetts. We had a conversation about the stars and stripes — the American flag — because we noticed a sea of lesbians, gay men and allies waving American flags near the Supreme Court steps. The more we talked about the oddity of “our side” as the flag-wavers, the more we realized that this was a turning point for our community to claim its patriotic place in the United States much as Frederick Douglass did in the middle of the 19th century. We had not been flag-wavers in our generation for lesbian and gay liberation because we thought the people who claimed the flag were the bigots, and it seemed for decades that most of America was against us.

Rea and I had this shared “aha” moment where we began to understand patriotism more expansively and as a right and responsibility for all Americans. It was a profound unfolding. Those flag-wavers also confused the handful of protestors who did not believe in equality for all. They seemed to wonder how we could be so patriotic when they considered us deviants.

As we approach our anniversary, I consider one our country’s greatest patriots, James Baldwin. He wrote, “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” He believed in holding the United States accountable to its stated principles. His words still resonate. He was concerned that if we fail to fully examine and address our complicated history and illusions, “we may yet become one of the most distinguished and monumental failures in the history of nations.” I agree with Baldwin that deep patriotism is both honest and hopeful, and each of us bear responsibility.

My own complex feelings include gratitude, awe, concern, disappointment, love, and, at times, aversion, when we fail to be the democracy we claim to be. Mostly I feel a personal responsibility as a citizen to contribute in creating a more perfect union. To our United States of America: Happy birthday!  Our experiment in democracy continues.

J.M. Sorrell is a monthly columnist. She agrees with Eleanor Roosevelt: “True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth…”