Happy 4th of July

In the United States, we celebrate Independence Day, better known as the 4th of July.

The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson.  On July 4, 1776 Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence and proclaimed that the 13 colonies no longer belonged to Great Britain.  They were then a new nation - The United States of America.  This document was signed by 56 delegates.

If you travel to Washington D.C. you can sign a miniaturized photocopy of the Declaration with quill and ink at the Jefferson memorial.  You an also visit Constitution Gardens which honors the men who signed the Declaration. The memorial has 56 stones.  Each stone has engraved the signature of one of the signers as well as his hometown and job.  The original Declaration of Independence was lost, but many copies had been made.  One very famous signed copy, now thought of as the Declaration of Independence, can be seen in the dimly lit hall of the National Archives building.

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

So today, I will give thanks for my life , for my freedom, and for being able to do the things that bring me joy.  I will have a picnic with my family.  I will go canoeing with my daughter down the river.  I will through a ball to my son.  And I will hug my husband.

Happy 4th of July!