The Birth of a Nation

Eleven-score and eleven years ago, on this continent, a new nation was formed. It was formed from rage, it was formed from violence, and it was formed from the will of men who refused to accept the rule of tyranny from across the sea. A committee of five chosen men gathered and wrote a Declaration of Independence, announcing to the world the birth of a nation dedicated to the prospect of individual liberty.
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by twelve of the original thirteen colonies (New York did not vote), though the declaration was not formally signed by the fifty-six delegates to the Continental Congress until August 2.

The English King, with a bounty on their heads, branded those who signed the Declaration of Independence as rebels and traitors. In signing, they recognized and affirmed with their “lives, their fortunes, and their honor” their dedication to the cause of freedom.

Though these fifty-six men risked their lives in signing this declaration, it was the thousands of men and women who stood up for their individual rights who eventually won the victory over the British.

Today, 231 years later, we celebrate the courage, the bravery, and the blood that these men spilled.

We, as a country, have become the richest and most powerful country in the history of the world. We are a great country, and we are a great people. Left, Right, or Middle, we are a people.

Celebrate today our country’s birthday remembering that you can not deserve freedom, you can only earn it.

You can email Alan at alan@alanfernald.com twenty-four hours a day.