Twenty-three grueling days later, on July 4th, 1776, Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, America’s official cry for liberty.
This groundbreaking document stunned and shocked the world. The Declaration unashamedly called for not only an end to British oppression, but for the establishment of a free republic, which included a government that protected every American’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Our great nation, the United States of America, was born that day; a nation I am both proud and honored to call home!
For 235 years, “we the people” have celebrated July Fourth as the day when a free America became irrefutable evidence to the world of what a nation can be when freedom takes flight on the wings of God’s grace. Even today, I can still hear the sound of freedom as it echoes from her mountains, across her plains and from shining sea to shining sea! God blessed America at her birth, and he continues to bless her today!
Notably, John Adams, a member of the committee that oversaw the writing of the Declaration, foresaw the importance of this monumental day, writing to his wife Abigail that: “(The day) ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized 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.”
I agree with Adams. We should celebrate the birth of our nation.
But this Independence Day, while we enjoy the parades and fireworks, let’s be sure to teach our children just how important it is to be an involved citizen of America.
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