In 1960, roughly 100 young people gathered at the home of William F. Buckley in Sharon, Conn., to draft what would come to be called a “seminal document” of the conservative movement more than half a century later by the New York Times. At that meeting, which took place 57 years ago on Sept. 11, the group adopted a declaration of conservative principles known as the “Sharon Statement.”

Though it reads less than 400 words, the Sharon Statement earned its place in history as the founding document of Young Americans for Freedom, an organization that played a key role in the Goldwater and Reagan Revolutions and continues to grow today. While speculation over the future of modern conservatism swirls in this new era, the Sharon Statement is well-worth revisiting as a foundational document of the movement that spawned generations of activists, organizations, and national leaders.