Declaration of Independence

The Second Continental Congress declared that the thirteen colonies were no longer subject and subordinate to the monarch of England King George the III and ...

Our earliest generation determined whatever it took was worth it to separate from the authoritarian rule of England. Our freedom was won by the sheer will power of an early generation who determined to do whatever was necessary for our freedom. Most Americans at that time had sacrificed everything to pursue freedom of worship, to develop our ideas, businesses and personal interests. The Congress voted to approve our independence on July 2 and adopted the Declaration of Independence two days later, Depending on foreign nations for anything is a poor plan for maintaining our freedom. On the 4th of July we celebrate our Declaration of Independence which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

It helped spark revolution and grant autonomy across the globe, from Haiti in 1791 to Kosovo in 2008 and beyond, and gave affirmation to the civil rights and ...

They are not being shy about their aim to install Republicans in office, whether the votes go their way or not. Particularly in the South, where voting is frequently made difficult for Black citizens, and particularly after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. The idea that government derived its power from the people — that human and civil rights were inherent, not subject to the whims of tyrants — transformed the world.

Posted Jul 4, 2022, 12:01 am. TucsonSentinel.com. In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. A DECLARATION. By the REPRESENTATIVES of the. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,.

In the years leading up to July 4, 1776, many colonists did not want complete independence from England. But over time, British trade restrictions, taxes, ...

The Statue of Liberty was formally presented to the United States on July 4, 1884. Ironically, 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, two of its authors, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both died on July 4, 1870. August 2, 1776 members of the Continental Congress signed an enlarged version of the Declaration of Independence; this document has John Hancock’s very large signature (so that the King of England could easily see his name without wearing glasses). The Revolutionary War continued until the Battle of Yorktown (near Williamsburg, Virginia) where one-third of the British forces in the United States were defeated and surrendered on October 19, 1781. The most recent copy discovered sold for $8.14 million.) On July 8 the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence took place at the Pennsylvania Statehouse (now called Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. July 2, the Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration. It was signed July 4, 1776. April 19, 1775 was the start of the shooting war of the American Revolution with battles at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The Continental Congress was formed.

And yet, when the colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North ...

The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. Racism, growing economic disparity and deeply rooted partisan divides are as much a part of America as baseball, apple pie and political corruption. Of the approximately 3 million people living on the eastern seaboard of North America in 1776, most were excluded. But the basic idea it expresses — that a free people should decide for themselves who they were governed, matters. The Declaration was written by and for white men.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, New York's concealed-carry gun law and an Environmental Protection Agency plan to curb power-plant emissions, ...

Deeply moved by the power of the Declaration's words, George Washington ordered copies sent to all generals in the Continental Army.

The Americans’ willingness to sacrifice was on display during the battle of Yorktown from September 28 to October 19, 1781—the decisive and final battle in the war for independence. Nelson’s home was destroyed and a few weeks later Cornwallis surrendered and acknowledged the American final victory for its complete independence. Twelve of the 56 Declaration signers had their homes looted and destroyed. A few days later, another intelligence tip was delivered, and Washington decided to make a second surprise attack on British regulars encamped in nearby Princeton. In short order there were many more British than American casualties, resulting in defeat with the surrender of some 300 Redcoats. Washington was in New York preparing its defense when on July 6, 1776, a courier arrived to deliver a copy of the two-signature Declaration of Independence that had been released in Philadelphia several days before. After the reading, when a few of the rowdies in the group spotted a statue of King George III, they pulled it down, to others’ tumultuous cheers. Washington’s greatest challenge then was maintaining the morale, confidence, and loyalty of his diminished and discouraged troops. The number of soldiers under Washington’s command had some turnover since leaving Boston, but had grown slightly to about 18-19,000, with recent enlistees—primarily farmers, fishermen, and artisans—having no training. Thus, the first Declaration of Independence that was signed on July 4 did not have signatures identifying the committed delegates. At the outset of the war, the British Royal Navy had 270 warships deployed in American waters, while the Continental Navy had seven ships. Recognizing the long odds against the small and underequipped American colonial army defeating the British army and navy—the most formidable military force in the world—the Continental Congress decided to hold the 56-signatory Declaration for release at a later time.

The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. We hold these truths to be self-evident.

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Historian Pauline Maier discovered that by July 2, 1776, when the Continental Congress voted to separate from Britain, 90 provincial and local bodies — ...

It officially adopted the American Theory of Government: First Come Rights; Then Comes Government to Secure These Rights.

- According to the American Theory of Government, because these rights are inalienable, even after a government is formed, they provide a standard by which its performance is measured; in extreme cases, a government's systemic violation of these rights or failure to protect them can justify its alteration and abolition. The assumption of natural rights expressed in the Declaration of Independence can be summed up by the following proposition: "First comes rights, then comes government." The Declaration of Independence shows it to be the officially adopted American Theory of Government. But the fact that there is never unanimous consent to any particular law, or even to the government itself, leads others to emphasize the rights part of this sentence and the legitimacy of judges protecting the "fundamental" or "human" rights of individuals and minorities. The opposite of "light and transient causes," that is, the more ordinary violations of rights by government. So, while the protection of natural rights or justice is the ultimate end of governance, particular governments only gain jurisdiction to achieve this end by the consent of those who are governed. This language identifies what is perhaps the central underlying "republican" assumption of the Constitution: that governments are instituted to secure the preexisting natural rights that are retained by the people. According to historian Pauline Meier, by changing "are born equally free" to "are by nature equally free," and "inherent natural rights" to "inherent rights," and then by adding "when they enter into a state of society," defenders of slavery in the Virginia convention could contend that slaves were not covered because they "had never entered Virginia's society, which was confined to whites." Another overlooked line, which is of greatest relevance to our discussion of the first underlying assumption of the Constitution: the assumption of natural rights. Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Vermont adopted Mason's original references to "born equally free" and to "natural rights" into their declarations of rights while omitting the phrase "when they enter into a state of society." Hence, the famous reference to "a long train of abuses and usurpations" and the list that follows the first two paragraphs. It also raises the question of how these fundamental rights are reconciled with the idea of "the consent of the governed," another idea for which the Declaration is famous.

Parliament was determined to bring its unruly American subjects to heel. Britain began to prepare for war in early 1775. The first fighting broke out in April ...

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. The parchment Declaration of Independence is in fragile condition, faded and worn resulting from years of public display. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. The Stone engraving of the Declaration of Independence is much more readable today than the original engrossed version. The official British response scolded the “misguided Americans” and “their extravagant and inadmissable Claim of Independency”. He was especially sorry they removed the part blaming King George III for the slave trade, although he knew the time wasn’t right to deal with the issue. He was especially sorry they removed the part blaming King George III for the slave trade, although he knew the time wasn’t right to deal with the issue. In celebration of Independence Day, we are pleased to share with you both some history and, below, the text of the document with the list of signatories. The colonists elected delegates to attend a Continental Congress that eventually became the governing body of the union during the Revolution. Its second meeting convened in Philadelphia in 1775. The delegates to Congress adopted strict rules of secrecy to protect the cause of American liberty and their own lives. In fact, the Americans saw a pattern of increasing oppression and corruption happening all around the world.

Today in History Today is Monday, July 4, the 185th day of 2022. There are 180 days left in the year. This is Independence Day.

Actor Mo McRae is 40. Actor Becki Newton is 44. Actor Jenica Bergere is 48. Actor Al Madrigal is 51. Actor Karolyn Grimes is 82. Actor Ed Bernard is 83. Actor Gina Lollobrigida is 95. This is Independence Day. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Eva Marie Saint is 98. Singer John Waite is 70. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called it a “new escalation of the threat” to the U.S. Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast at a Michigan home.

Today in History Today is Monday, July 4, the 185th day of 2022. There are 180 days left in the year. This is Independence Day. Today's Highlight in.

Actor Mo McRae is 40. Actor Becki Newton is 44. Actor Jenica Bergere is 48. Actor Al Madrigal is 51. Actor Karolyn Grimes is 82. Actor Ed Bernard is 83. Actor Gina Lollobrigida is 95. This is Independence Day. Today’s Birthdays: Actor Eva Marie Saint is 98. Singer John Waite is 70. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called it a “new escalation of the threat” to the U.S. Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast at a Michigan home.

The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 congressional delegates. However, contrary to popular belief, not all signatures were made on July 4th.

Fifty-six congressional delegates signed the Declaration of Independence, though not all signed it on July 4th, 1776 as commonly believed. Who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence? The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 congressional delegates.

BOSTON - There's more to Boston's Fourth of July celebrations than just fireworks on Monday. There will be a morning flag-raising at City Hall Plaza and ...

The Old North Church will also host family-friendly Independence Day events starting at 10 a.m., including printing press demonstrations, story time, guided crypt tours, a historical scavenger hunt and a drum performance. There was a morning flag-raising at City Hall Plaza and procession to the Old State House for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. Mayor Michelle Wu was part of the speaking ceremony, which in the past has included historical figures like John F. Kennedy. BOSTON - There's more to Boston's Fourth of July celebrations than just fireworks on Monday.

The York County chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution holds a memorial service every year for Col. James Smith. The service takes place at his ...

RAHWAY, NJ — On Monday, July 4, the 246th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America, the 8th annual ceremony honoring the life of Abraham ...

A concluding prayer signaled the ceremony was coming to an end. "Our independence started right here," McGuinn said. The museum live-streamed the event today, and a recording can be found on Facebook here.

SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — On this Independence Day a group of volunteers stood in front of the statue of George Washington at 1:00 p.m. and ...

For the 17th year in a row, Louisville Democrats walked up the stairs of Metro Hall in Downtown Louisville to read aloud the Declaration of Independence to ...

So, we’ll try to instill that in her now.” “[I’m] getting her involved, trying to make a difference,” Quigley said. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - For the 17th year in a row, Louisville Democrats walked up the stairs of Metro Hall in Downtown Louisville to read aloud the Declaration of Independence to all who would listen.