WHAT DOES JULY 4TH MEAN TO YOU?

The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document written by our Founding Fathers declaring America's independence. A committee of five men, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston were appointed to write the document.The first draft of the Declaration was written by Jefferson, in seclusion. He spent several days writing it. John Adams was the first person to revise the document, followed by Benjamin Franklin, and finally by the full Congressional Committee. It was altered a total of 47 times before independence was declared. Independence was declared on July 2, 1776, and 39 more revisions to the document followed. John Hancock was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence is on display at the National Archives.

President Jefferson wrote
in the Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident;
that all men are created equal..."

"Resolved, That these United Colonies are,
and of right ought to be, free and
independent States, that they are absolved
from all allegiance to the British Crown,
and that all political connection between
them and the State of Great Britain is, and
other to be, totally dissolved."

Thomas Jefferson, was the 3rd President
of the United States of America,
from 1801 to 1809. Congress had appointed
5 men to prepare this proclamation, and
Jefferson was the greatest contributor of
the words contained in the document, and
described the Declaration of Independence as
"An expression of the American mind."

Thomas Jefferson

It was a declaration of independence for the
colonies of the 13 States, in America,
from Great Britian and was adopted on
July 4, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress,
when John Hancock, who was the President of
the Congress, accepted and signed it.
All the men who signed the document,
knew that they had placed themselves
in grave danger, but were willing to risk
their live for what they believed.

Jefferson used many of the ideas from John Locke
who was an English Philosopher who argued against
the philosopy that human beings were born with
certain ideas. He believed that the mind was
blank and only through experience, a person would
begin to enter ideas. He was totally against the
devine right of kings and argued that governments
depended on the consent of the governed. The main
ideas brought forth were that all men were created
equal; that man had natural rights which were
granted by God; that government could only have
so much power in the lives of the people,
and could only be governed by the agreement
of the people; and the right of the people to
rebel against a government which wanted
to impose dictatorship or tyrany to its people.

Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 and died
in 1826. His picture is on the $20 dollar bill,
the $2 dollar bill and the nickle. He is considered
to have been one of our greatest Presidents.
He wrote these words on his own gravestone:
"Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of
the Declaration of Independence, of the statute
of Virgina for religious freedom, and father
of the University of Virginia."
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When the Declaration of Independence was declared,
John Adams wrote this historic letter to his wife:

"I am apt to believe that this day will be celebrated
by succeeding generations as the great anniversary
festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of
deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion
to God Almighty. It ought to be solemized
with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports,
guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one
end of this continent to the other, from this time
forward forevermore."

FUN FACT
One lucky Philadelphian purchased a $4.00 picture at a flea market. What they found behind the picture was an original 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence. It was sold to TV producer Norman Lear for 8.1 million.

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STATUE OF LIBERTY
fireworks Statue of Liberty fireworks

The large copper statue that stands on Liberty Island in New York Harbor is a rememberance of our Nations FREEDOM

France gave the statue to America in 1884 as a symbol of friendship and of the liberty that citizens enjoy under a free form of government. The statues proper name is Liberty Enlightening the World.

The statue represents a proud woman, dressed in a loose robe that falls in graceful folds to the top of the pedestal on which the statue stands. The right arm holds a great torch raised high in the air. The left arm grasps a tablet bearing the date of the Declaration of Independence. A crown with huge spikes, like sun rays, rest on her head. At her feet is a broken shackle, which symbolizes the overthrow of tyranny.