Happy Independence Day!
To all of my American readers, I hope you have a really wonderful and safe holiday! We’ll definitely be going out to watch the fireworks tonight. Will you?
Why is it we celebrate this day?
In June and July 1776, a committee worked on a document that all the thirteen colonies could agree upon that formally told Great Britain that they would govern themselves. That document was the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was its principal author.
One of the most famous sections explained the rights of man: 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.
In another section the Declaration states the charges against King George III, such as:
- imposing taxes on the colonies without their consent
- cutting off the colonies trade with other parts of the world
- depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury
- and it goes on to explain he (King George III) has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people
Congress debated and then approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. (It was signed August 2, 1776.)
We have a Patriotic Song Packet for Kids that I made a couple of years ago. It’s free to download. We’ve sung all of these songs together, but I’d like the kids to learn these all by heart sometime soon! 🙂
Have a wonderful day! I’ll see you again soon here or over at our Homeschool Den Facebook Page! ~Liesl
