Our ancestors crossed oceans to leave something behind. They left societies where wealth and power were concentrated in the hands of a few, and where opportunity often depended as much on those who governed as on individual effort.
They came seeking room to build their own lives. Over time, frontiers gave way to towns and cities, governments expanded, laws multiplied, and institutions assumed greater responsibility. More and more of life's difficult questions, once answered by families, churches, and local communities came instead to be decided by courts, regulators, public agencies, and experts.
