Americans revel in the Fourth of July as a relaxed, joyous celebration of the nation’s birthday. No gifts to buy, no pressure, only food, fun and fireworks. Hawaii’s sun-drenched beauty only adds to the day’s enjoyment.

It’s noteworthy, then, that what the country celebrates is, as much as we take it for granted, a mammoth achievement. Embarking on the great democratic experiment took a revolutionary war, but turning revolution into a stable, flourishing society took the full investment of 238 years and millions of lives.

There is no region providing a comparison that’s more stark than the Middle East. Seeing the turmoil in Syria and now again in Iraq, which struggles against a powerful insurgency, is heart-rending.

For a nation called the United States, this land’s divisions seem very apparent. Besides the fractured political environment, there’s been upheaval in the news lately, not the least of which arose over the flood of unaccompanied children fleeing repressive regimes to our south.

However, the humanitarian disasters stemming from violent conflicts in Syria and Iraq force us to recalibrate. The chronicle of grieving, fearful families transcends East-West cultural differences; witnessing such civil unrest certainly leaves Americans feeling grateful for the relative peace of their own homeland.

But that stability came only after a long evolution, which in 2014 can be too readily overlooked. The development of a national identity in the U.S., all the institutions and values that underlie the American way of life, is the product of so many historical events.

Efforts at "nation building" that skip over this process are likely to succumb to the next political storm.

Without reliving every U.S. history class ever taken, there are resources online that serve to remind us of all America has endured to create the mortar that holds a nation together. One published as part of a YMCA youth-in-government program, a "Democracy in America Timeline" (goo.gl/gvyB3e), is worth flipping through.

Besides the wars, the scourge of slavery and the various industrial and political upheavals, the timeline highlights elements often underrated in such discussions.

For example, the birth of American literature was essential in shaping a national consciousness. Books and other expressions of popular culture helped to cement the notion that the American land and frontier are distinctive, as are the people who lived and died there, across the generations.

Even the concept of the "American dream," now considered central to the national ethos, evolved over time. At first it was the notion that Americans have a pioneering spirit; then it was the ability to build the components of success — career success, home ownership — from very little, a hallmark of the immigrant experience.

James Truslow Adams, the historian, is known for coining the phrase and popularizing it. It appeared in his book "The Epic of America," written in 1931 — not a period of great national optimism. But perhaps dreams emerge from struggles such as the Great Depression.

"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement," Adams wrote.

That is still a dream for many Americans who are contending with poverty and may find opportunities to achieve out of their reach.

But however we’ve fallen short of the national ideal, America still can cherish a sense of history and identity.

We should offer support to countries torn by war — help that’s focused on relieving the pain of conflicts rather than changing the course of national development or the drawing of national boundaries.

Ultimately, the lesson of our own history is that nations are built from within.

That project continues in America, too.

Happy Independence Day.