I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.....

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. (excerpt from The Declaration of Independence)


This weekend is one of my favorite holidays! In college, I worked on Capitol Hill and lived in Washington, DC. There is nothing like celebrating your nation's Independence in your nation's capitol! That is something I will not soon forget! (the picture above is really what things look like). I love anything that celebrates the history of the United States. (Reminder: I am a political science major and I was on a government debate team in high school). I will be out of town (in Nashville) and won't be doing much blogging or Internet using. But I wanted to remind everyone to have a wonderful 4th of July! Be safe if you are traveling and remember those serving our country today (One in particular, Jessica's husband, Adam.) and in the past to get us where we are today. Do you even know what happened to the 56 men that signed the Declaration of Independence?
~Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
~The vote for the United States to become independent of Great Britain actually occurred on July 2, 1776 by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Congress formally approved the document, the "Declaration of Independence" on July 4, 1776. This declaration was the final break with Great Britain and expressed the united view of all of the colonies to become independent.