The song "America" is sung across America as one of the National Anthems. It was written by Reverand Samuel Francis Smith in 1832. It was first used at a children's fourth of July picnic in Boston. Lowell Mason discovered the tune in a collection of German melodies and recommended it to Rev. Smith. The music to "America" is the same as that of the British national anthem, "God Save the Queen." It is said that Henry Carey put the melody into its present form.
Words are:
My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died.
Land of the Pilgrims' pride,
From every mountainside
Let Freedon ring.
My native country, thee
Land of the noble free--
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell represents America's freedom. The Liberty Bell is located at the Liberty Bell Pavilion on Market Street between 5th and 6th Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was cast in London and was made of 70% copper, 25% tin, and small amounts of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold and silver. Written on the bell are the words, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof". The Liberty Bell cracked the first time it was rung. It was repaired in 1846, and cracked again. The bell has not been rung since.
FUN FACT
Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell is tapped - not actually rung.
The Eagle
The Eagle
In 1787, the newly formed United States adopted as its emblem a bald Eagle with wings that are outspread. The Eagle is shown with a shield on its breast, an olive branch in one foot, and a sheaf of arrows in the other foot. When the Eagle is placed on the American coat-of-arms it carries a scroll in its beak bearing the Latin words E Pluribus Unum, meaning one out of many.
FUN FACT
The first Eagle on an American coin appeared on a Massachusetts penny in 1776.
The Declaration of Independence is a document written by our Founding Fathers declaring America's independence. A committee of five men, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston were appointed to write the document.The first draft of the Declaration was written by Jefferson, in seclusion. He spent several days writing it. John Adams was the first person to revise the document, followed by Benjamin Franklin, and finally by the full Congressional Committee. It was altered a total of 47 times before independence was declared. Independence was declared on July 2, 1776, and 39 more revisions to the document followed. John Hancock was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence is on display at the National Archives.
President Jefferson wrote
in the Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident;
that all men are created equal..."
"Resolved, That these United Colonies are,
and of right ought to be, free and
independent States, that they are absolved
from all allegiance to the British Crown,
and that all political connection between
them and the State of Great Britain is, and
other to be, totally dissolved."
Thomas Jefferson, was the 3rd President
of the United States of America,
from 1801 to 1809. Congress had appointed
5 men to prepare this proclamation, and
Jefferson was the greatest contributor of
the words contained in the document, and
described the Declaration of Independence as
"An expression of the American mind."
Thomas Jefferson
It was a declaration of independence for the
colonies of the 13 States, in America,
from Great Britian and was adopted on
July 4, 1776 by the Second Continental Congress,
when John Hancock, who was the President of
the Congress, accepted and signed it.
All the men who signed the document,
knew that they had placed themselves
in grave danger, but were willing to risk
their live for what they believed.
Jefferson used many of the ideas from John Locke
who was an English Philosopher who argued against
the philosopy that human beings were born with
certain ideas. He believed that the mind was
blank and only through experience, a person would
begin to enter ideas. He was totally against the
devine right of kings and argued that governments
depended on the consent of the governed. The main
ideas brought forth were that all men were created
equal; that man had natural rights which were
granted by God; that government could only have
so much power in the lives of the people,
and could only be governed by the agreement
of the people; and the right of the people to
rebel against a government which wanted
to impose dictatorship or tyrany to its people.
Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 and died
in 1826. His picture is on the $20 dollar bill,
the $2 dollar bill and the nickle. He is considered
to have been one of our greatest Presidents.
He wrote these words on his own gravestone:
"Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of
the Declaration of Independence, of the statute
of Virgina for religious freedom, and father
of the University of Virginia."
When the Declaration of Independence was declared,
John Adams wrote this historic letter to his wife:
"I am apt to believe that this day will be celebrated
by succeeding generations as the great anniversary
festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of
deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion
to God Almighty. It ought to be solemized
with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports,
guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one
end of this continent to the other, from this time
forward forevermore."
FUN FACT
One lucky Philadelphian purchased a $4.00 picture at a flea market. What they found behind the picture was an original 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence. It was sold to TV producer Norman Lear for 8.1 million.
