From the desk of Jan Hommel, American Freedom Museum Director:

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the United States separated itself from Great Britain. This document declared that all men are “created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” With these powerful and moving words, our forefathers formed a brand new nation with a vision of freedom and democracy that would forever change history.

For centuries Americans celebrated this event on their own, but in 1941, Congress established the Fourth of July, or Independence Day, as a national holiday. Today, it is a time when families and friends gather in their back yard, church, or at the lake for picnics, where tables are set with American flags and decorated with red, white and blue. There are firework displays at night, and we attend community and neighborhood parades, baseball games, concerts, military events and even take trips to the beach as we celebrate our nation’s history and the freedoms we enjoy because of those who have gone before us.

Here are some fun facts that many people do not know about the Fourth of July:

• Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag in May or June of 1776, after 3 members (George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross) of a secret committee from the Continental Congress met with her in her home.
• The stars on the original American flag were in a circle so all the colonies would appear equal.
• Thomas Jefferson was the strongest and most eloquent writer and was charged with putting together the original draft for the Declaration of Independence. There were a total of 86 changes that were made to the original draft and the Continental Congress officially adopted the final version on July 4, 1776.
• On July 5, 1776, copies of the Declaration of Independence were handed out and on July 6, The Pennsylvania Evening Post became the first newspaper to print the document.
• The Liberty Bell rang from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, and citizens gathered for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon.
• Thomas Jefferson began the tradition of a public reception at the White House to celebrate the Fourth of July in 1801.
• Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird but was overruled by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who wanted the bald eagle.
• Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe all died on the Fourth. Adams and Jefferson died on the same day within hours of each other in 1826.
• The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence did not sign at the same time, nor did they sign on July 4, 1776. The official signing was on August 3, 1776, when 50 men signed it.
• The names of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were withheld from the public for more than six months to protect the signers. If independence had not been achieved, the treasonable act of the signers would have, by law, resulted in their deaths.
• The origin of Uncle Sam probably began in 1812, when Samuel Wilson, a meat packer who provided meat to the U.S. Army, stamped the meat shipments with the initials U.S. Someone joked that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam.” This joke eventually led to the idea of Uncle Sam symbolizing the United States government.
• The song “Yankee Doodle,” was sung originally by British officers making fun of backwoods Americans.
• In 1776, there were 2.5 million people living in the new nation. Today there are over 318 million.
• There are more than 30 towns nationwide that have the word “Liberty” in their names.
• Approximately150 million hotdogs are consumed on the Fourth of July.
• Around $675 million dollars will be spent by consumers for fireworks on the Fourth of July.

How will you be celebrating this Independence Day? I hope wherever you are that it is a memorable time spent with family and friends. I encourage you to reflect for a moment on the meaning of the celebration, remembering that 239 years ago this Saturday, a pivotal moment in our history took place. The Declaration of Independence set into motion the birth of a nation, our nation, and it is a land filled with liberty and opportunity unequaled anywhere in the world. It is America’s story. It is Your story. Happy Fourth of July!

Learn more about the American Freedom Museum here.

***The American Freedom Museum will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 4^th. Come celebrate the 4^th with some great stories! From 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and again from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. our storyteller, Robin Bynum, will share stories you wish you knew about your beloved country. Adults and students welcome!!