Do you know why the Declaration of Independence was drafted and signed?

by Barbara Latta

Revolutionary soldiers

We celebrate our Independence Day on July 4, but the Revolutionary War started about a year earlier when shots were fired at Lexington and Concord.

King George of Great Britain denied the citizens of the colonies the basic rights entitled to them as a settlement of the British crown. Each time these disputes were brought to light they were either ignored or punishment was rendered. The colonists put up resistance and fought against such tyranny.

On April 19, 1775, British troops marched into Lexington with the intent of destroying military supplies. Shots were fired and both the British and Militia suffered casualties. As the abuse of power continued from the seat of Britain, the leaders of the colonies met in early June of 1776 in Philadelphia to debate whether to break away from the mother country. Thomas Jefferson was elected to draw up the first draft of their document declaring the reasons for the colonies act of independence.

After much meeting, debating and redrafting, Congress met on July 1 and took up the

Declaration of Independence

resolution to break away from England’s rule. On July 4, twelve of the thirteen state delegations adopted the final draft of the Declaration (New York adopted it on July 9). Only John Hancock, president of the Second Continental Congress, and Charles Thomson, the Congress’s secretary, put their signatures on the document that day. It then went to a printer so copies could be distributed to other states.

On July 8, the Liberty Bell rang out in Philadelphia calling all citizens to gather and hear the reading of the Declaration. George Washington ordered that it be read to his troops in New York City on July 9. All across the land, Americans heard the words of the document and pulled down images of George III and symbols of Britain’s authority.

On July 19, Congress ordered that the Declaration be written on parchment and signed by all its members. On August 2, the copy was ready and the members of Congress who were in Philadelphia that day gathered and signed the document knowing full well they were signing their own death warrants. Delegates who were out of town signed in the following weeks.

On January 18, 1777 it was ordered that new copies be printed showing the names of all the signers. Today that original document is housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

There are 27 violations of  human and governmental rights listed on the Declaration of Independence that were inflicted upon the colonists by King George. Peaceful resolution was tried and failed because of the tyranny of the monarchy. The only choice the colonists had was to become pawns of the British government without any rights or representation, or to rebel against abuse and become independent.

Independence Day celebration

Copies of the Declaration of Independence are widely available. If you don’t have one, I encourage you to find one and read the entire document.

After you read it, post your thoughts in the comments below and share some things you didn’t know about how our freedom was established.

Happy Independence Day and may God bless America!

What Is Liberty?

by Barbara Latta

On July 4, 1776, Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence which voiced the intent of the colonies against the tyranny of King George and the British Empire.

The Declaration of Independence

The signers were affixing their names to a document that would seal their fate as traitors should the colonial army lose the war. They believed in what they were doing so much they were willing to sacrifice home, family, health and lives to ensure the independence of the new country.

The struggle of war continued until 1783 with a victory over the superior army of Britain. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution which would later follow offered Americans protection from enemies and various freedoms such as religion and speech.

Apparently, some think those documents are outdated and should be eliminated or re-written. Others think those freedoms only apply if you are a liberal God-hater. The ruling by the Supreme Court on gay marriage is one example.

American was founded on God

Many states voted to define marriage as between one man and one woman but since the liberal activists didn’t like that they pushed to get the Supreme Court to overrule the rights of thousands of Americans and say the votes are worthless. The desire of those states is worthless. Our right to vote is worthless.

The founding documents of our country give me the right to voice my opinion whether liberals agree with that or not. The title of this blog is Navigating Life’s Curves for a reason; because there are things in life and society we need to navigate correctly.

What is liberty? It is the right of a people to oppose a government that is misusing the laws. That's what the Revolution was all about.

It’s time for us to stand up for what is right and be loud enough to be heard. Not in an obnoxious, violent manner the way the liberals do, but in the method granted us by the document adopted on July 4, 1776. We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those things are now being downtrodden by the decay of America.

Liberty

We can take back the rights of families by calling for a repeal of this outrageous law. We can contact congressional representatives and encourage them to adopt legislation to put America back where she belongs. We don’t have to accept this as final, and we don’t need to shake our heads saying how bad this is and then do nothing about it. We WILL be voting in another year, and hopefully enough people will wake up and vote according to biblical standards and not in favor of whoever is going to give them something for nothing.

Celebrate Independence Day thanking God for this country and the reason people died to found the government of the people, by the people, and for the people. 

Happy July 4! God bless America!

The Birthpangs of A Nation

Each July 4, we celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, barbecues, and sales. How often do we think about the great cost of adopting this document that birthed our nation?

Signed by 56 men comprised of teachers, farmers, ministers, sailors, university professors, and business men each took upon himself the possibility of execution by the British government for treason.

As the great responsibility of their actions loomed ahead, Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of the signers and the man labeled the father of American Medicine wrote to John Adams in 1781:

“Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the House when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress to subscribe to what was believed by many at that time to be our death warrants? The silence and gloom of the morning was interrupted, I well recollect, only for a moment by Colonel Harrison of Virginia (a big guy) who said to Mr. Gerry (small in stature) at the table: 'I shall have a great advantage over you, Mr. Gerry, when we are all hung for what we are now doing... From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air an hour or two before you are dead.' This speech procured a transient smile, but it was soon succeeded by the solemnity with which the whole business was conducted.”[1]

This young country not only had no organized army at this time, there also were no financial resources to fund a war. No other country wanted to take a chance on financing a fledgling republic against the British monarchy and suffer future repercussions. For three years, the young American government was funded by individuals who risked and lost all they had to secure the independence of the colonies. France and Holland finally saw the investment was worth the risk after some colonial victories.

Homes were torched, families were separated, health deteriorated, and ultimately lives were lost in the midst of much suffering. Our independence came at a great price.

May we continue to fight to retain the freedoms these great men of valor purchased for succeeding generations.  It’s because of their faith in God, their integrity, and their love for freedom that they had the strength and determination to stand for the rights the Bible promised each one of us.

God bless America!

What does Independence Day mean to you?

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[1] www.wallbuilders.com, 4^th of July article by David Barton