Holidays are a great time for families. But it can also be a great time to reflect on the meaning of the holiday… and it’s fun as well! Here are some fun facts to share or make a game of guessing the answers.
Fun Independence Day Facts
The image shown on this letter is the oldest known “rough draft” of the Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson’s handwriting.
Jefferson’s original draft was lost and the one eventually signed is the “engrossed” document and is kept at the National Archives.
Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston comprised the committee that drafted the Declaration. Jefferson, regarded as the strongest and most eloquent writer, actually wrote most of the document at the age of 33. The committee and Congress as a whole made a total of 86 changes to Jefferson’s draft.
The printed version of the Declaration was called the Dunlap Broadside – 200 were made but only 27 are accounted for.
The Declaration of Independence began as a letter to King George to explain why the Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain.
The first signature on the Declaration of Independence was John Hancock’s. The myth is that he wrote his name large so that King George would be able to read it without his glasses.
Edward Rutledge was the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence at the age of 26 while Benjamin Franklin, 70 years old as the oldest.
The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall on July 8, 1776, summoning citizens to gather for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon. Since 1846, the Liberty Bell has not been rung every 4th of July due to possible damage.
July 4, 1826 – John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the 50th anniversary. These two men had been political rivals and then friends later in life.
In 1870 the Congress made the 4th of July an unpaid holiday for federal employees. In 1941, Congress declared 4th of July a paid federal holiday.
According to census.gov, 2.5 million people celebrated the first Independence Day. Today’s US population is 326 million.
Click to read the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
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The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.
Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776
Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.
John Adams, Defense of the Constitutions, 1787
Have a wonderful Independence Day!
Blessings to your family,
Shelly, Rich, Lis and Dave