By SBE Council at 23 June, 2026, 11:52 am

Entrepreneurs and small business owners played an outsized role in our nation's founding. In this special America 250 series, we examine that role and how the founding documents and principles established the environment and culture for risk-taking, innovation, and the independent businesses that have sustained the U.S. economy, local communities, and the American Dream for 250 years.

In a "National Small Business Week" America 250 entry, SBE Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan writes that American innovation and economic vibrancy is not a modern addition to the nation's story. It is a part of our history from the earliest days of the republic. Many of the Founders were deeply engaged in business, and a large share of the signers of the Declaration of Independence earned their living through private enterprise or self-employment - thirty or more of the fifty-six ran Main-Street businesses or agricultural enterprises. Of course, there were lawyers (business owners in their own right but not counted as part of the thirty), but as Kerrigan notes: "It seems almost every solid founding starts with good lawyers." And the nation's founding had some really good ones. She also observes:

"As the nation looks to officially celebrate its 250th anniversary on July 4, it is worth appreciating that America was shaped not only by brilliant philosophers and patriots, but also by builders, innovators, and enterprising people who believed in creating something new, and who helped make enterprise part of the country's DNA."

In this America 250 entry, Kerrigan connects World Intellectual Property (IP) Day to America's founding and reminds readers that IP rights and protections are embedded directly in the Constitution. Article I, Section 8 gave Congress the power to secure the exclusive property rights of authors and inventors in order to "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts." The Founders understood that innovation does not happen by accident. As Kerrigan notes:

"As we reflect on America's founding in this 250th anniversary year, World IP Day is an important occasion to keep in mind that the Constitution and founding did more than establish a government. It established a framework that emboldened the spirit of creativity and innovation - where individuals can create, invest, invent, and build with confidence. That legacy and framework still matter today, and especially for entrepreneurs and small business owners who continue to turn ideas into opportunity and a better life for many Americans."

Long before America became a global economic powerhouse, local entrepreneurs and small business owners helped build the civic culture, communication networks, and spirit of independence that made our nation possible. As America marks its 250th anniversary, it is important to note that the nation's founding was shaped not only in legislative halls and battlefields, but also in taverns, print shops, and workshops and through various other small businesses that served as the nerve center of colonial communities. As Kerrigan noted in this America 250 entry:

"The independence of the colonies was not only debated in halls of government. It was deliberated in taverns and coffeehouses, printed about via small shops, and organized through local businesses and their owners…. The printing industry and print shops also played an important role in communicating breaking news and views about independence. In many ways, the small businesses in this critical sector were the startup media ecosystem of colonial times. Print shops were the literal engines of the American Revolution, as they helped to unify scattered colonies into a single revolutionary movement…. Colonial merchants and shopkeepers also played a direct role in challenging British rule. During protests surrounding the Boston Tea Party and other disputes over taxation and trade, merchants coordinated non-importation agreements and boycotts of British goods… America's founding generation of small business owners included countless artisans and tradespeople - blacksmiths, shipbuilders, silversmiths, printers, carpenters, and merchants - whose enterprises supported the revolution through financing, supplies, organizing and more, formed the backbone of local economies."

This America 250 entry relates to "National Invention Month" and why we celebrate this month 250 years after the founding of our nation. Kerrigan writes that from the very beginning, the United States did not treat invention as incidental to national progress. The Founders were intentional in building a system where new ideas could take hold, move into the marketplace, benefit the public good, and create broader prosperity. She writes:

"In retrospect, America's greatest invention may have been the innovation ecosystem itself - a constitutional framework that empowered generations of inventors, risk-takers, and small business builders to transform the world."

June is "Immigration Heritage Month," which celebrates immigrants and their countless contributions to America. The American Dream has never been a guarantee of success. Rather, it has been the promise of opportunity: the freedom to create, compete, innovate, and succeed based on one's talents, determination, and willingness to take risks. The founding documents helped to set the foundation for an entrepreneurial nation, and for generations of immigrants arriving on America's shores, business ownership and entrepreneurship fueled the U.S. economy and the innovative culture that became more robust over time. As Kerrigan notes in this America 250 entry:

"Many of America's most iconic companies were founded or co-founded by immigrants or their children. Their contributions span every sector of the economy - from finance and manufacturing to technology and healthcare. Yet the entrepreneurial impact of immigration is not measured only by the largest and most recognized businesses. It is reflected in the millions of small businesses that have opened their doors on Main Streets, in neighborhoods, and increasingly through digital platforms that allow entrepreneurs to reach customers around the world."