Many of us think of our nation as united after the Revolutionary War. We had won our independence from England, and were eager to take our first steps forward as the United States of America. We like to imagine a nation that — save some arguments between Founders over the words in our Constitution — walked straightforward into its existence.

But the aftermath of the Revolution was tense. There were widespread disagreements about big issues, like philosophy of government and the definition of freedom.  What powers should rest with the people? What was the proper role of a leader in government? What was the true difference between aristocratic and democratic government?

Elite leaders and common patriots questioned whether the revolution was a mistake. In the midst of the quarreling, George Washington famously lamented:

“Have we fought for this? Was it with these expectations that we launched into a sea of trouble, and have bravely struggled through the most threatening danger?”

Think about that for a moment. The supreme general of the Revolutionary War, the future first president of the United States, questioned whether our very existence as a nation was worth the fight. This was anything but an easy time. The trial was tough. Americans everywhere were questioning.

The concept of the United States of America was revolutionary. It was a radical break from tradition. But it was not without heavy uncertainty. The “shot heard ‘round the world” was just the beginning.  In the tense decision-making that followed, Americans labored hard for our nation.

Yet, in that quarreling, our bedrock beliefs were established: that power belongs with the people, that all are created equal, and that freedom is a God-given right.

Today we find ourselves at what feels like another significant moment of trial. The decisions we make today will dictate the opportunities, future, and freedom of Americans tomorrow. The stakes are high. The trials are tough.

Our struggle goes back to our roots as a nation. It’s a struggle between those who believe government knows best and those who believe a nation’s strength is in individual freedom.

Have we fought for this? Did our Founding Fathers bravely struggle for the torch of freedom so that we might let it flicker? What would they think of our nation today?

In moments of trial, we start to question. We look to our origins. We seek to know who we are, then and now.

This will be a year of decisions. Our eyes are set on November and its presidential election. But in moments of trial, when the stakes are high and the questions are tough, we must remember to keep our eyes on the impact our decisions today will have on generations tomorrow.

Our nation survived its beginning, because our Founders and the very first Americans had their eyes set on something greater. They looked, not one year into the future, but decades, centuries even. They bravely envisioned a nation that would be a beacon of hope to those around the world. They pushed forward.

Have we fought for this? Yes, we fight for this every single day. The challenges, the questions, the struggles are worth it, because America is exceptional.

Sometimes it feels like our country is slipping through our fingers. But we cannot go quietly into the night. We must press on — like the courageous patriots who pioneered this nation — with our eyes to the future.

And so I enter 2016 with expectancy, not for this year itself, but with my eyes set on the next decade, the next generation, a century from now. America was worth the fight then, and it is worth the fight now.

Congressman J. Randy Forbes represents Virginia’s Fourth District, which includes Suffolk, in the U.S. House of Representatives. Visit his website at forbes.house.gov.