07/03/2026
Happy 4th of July weekend! Here's some good information about it.
The Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the United States, was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and announced the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain. It explained why the Congress on July 2 “unanimously” (by the votes of 12 colonies, with New York abstaining) had resolved that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States.”
The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins with perhaps its most famous line. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This statement echoed the writings of English philosopher John Locke. Locke claimed that, in the state of nature, individuals possessed the right to life, liberty, and property.
No one actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. Although the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, the “engrossed” copy of the document wasn’t ready for signatures until nearly a month later.
On August 2, 1776, roughly a month after the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, an “engrossed” version was signed at the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia by most of the congressional delegates (engrossing is rendering an official document in a large clear hand). Not all the delegates were present on August 2. Eventually, 56 of them signed the document. Two delegates, John Dickinson and Robert R. Livingston, never signed.
Here's a link to some great additional information and videos that explain so many great facts about our founding fathers. Check it out!!: https://www.history.com/articles/declaration-of-independence
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