Let Freedom Ring

Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence between June 11 and June 28, 1776. The Declaration of Independence is the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty. It's political philosophy was not new; its definition of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. Jefferson summarized the philosophy in "self-evident truths" and added a list of grievances against the King to justify the breaking of ties between the colonies and Great Britain.

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4, reports Wikipedia.

Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved by Congress.

Independence Day is celebrated with fireworks, parades, fairs, picnics, ball games, family reunions, military processions, political speeches and ceremonies. It is a time to celebrate the history, government, and traditions of our great nation.