ran 1.4 miles
Happy Fourth of July!
Today is the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In 1776, our founding fathers came together, despite numerous fears and differences, and forged the document that has guided our nation to the freedoms and opportunities we all experience 235 years later.
There are many interesting details and stories surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but these are a couple of lesser known facts you may not realize. For one thing, when those men decided to sign that document they made a decision that would have had them shot or hung if they were unable to win the Revolutionary War they were currently fighting. It was a gamble and, while the odds were not on their side, providence and destiny were.
Ask yourself if you would have done it. Would you have signed a document that utterly defied the King of what was arguably the world power at the time? Could you have placed such a wager on your own head, on your family, on your fellow men and women, to risk everything for an idea you passionately believed in?
The men who signed the Declaration of Independence figuratively signed their names in blood, and if America had not won the Revolutionary War then the signers of that monumental document would have been hunted down and made examples of.
But we did win, with all odds against us, and I firmly believe it was providence and not chance.
One other interesting piece of history surrounding the Declaration of Independence is the final days surrounding the lives of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. It was on this day in 1826, the fourth of July, the anniversary of the day both of these men had signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, that they both died within five hours of one another.
Jefferson and Adams were the final surviving members of the original American revolutionaries who signed the Declaration of Independence. They shared a common cause in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; however, as time went on they differed more and more on how to achieve the American vision. Both men having served as presidents, Adams believed in a strong centralized government and Jefferson believed in a weaker federal government with more rights deferred to individual states.
Through years of heated arguments and differences, an animosity that had led to years of silence between the two ex-presidents, John Adams made the decision to contact Thomas Jefferson in 1812, wishing him many happy years to come. Thomas Jefferson responded with kind words and the two founding fathers looked past their differences and rekindled the friendship they had once had.
On July 4, 1826, at the age of 90, John Adams died. His last words were “Thomas Jefferson still survives”. But he was mistaken. Jefferson had died five hours before in Monticello at the age of 82.
1,165.6 miles to go.
Happy Fourth of July!
Today is the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In 1776, our founding fathers came together, despite numerous fears and differences, and forged the document that has guided our nation to the freedoms and opportunities we all experience 235 years later.
There are many interesting details and stories surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but these are a couple of lesser known facts you may not realize. For one thing, when those men decided to sign that document they made a decision that would have had them shot or hung if they were unable to win the Revolutionary War they were currently fighting. It was a gamble and, while the odds were not on their side, providence and destiny were.
Ask yourself if you would have done it. Would you have signed a document that utterly defied the King of what was arguably the world power at the time? Could you have placed such a wager on your own head, on your family, on your fellow men and women, to risk everything for an idea you passionately believed in?
The men who signed the Declaration of Independence figuratively signed their names in blood, and if America had not won the Revolutionary War then the signers of that monumental document would have been hunted down and made examples of.
But we did win, with all odds against us, and I firmly believe it was providence and not chance.
One other interesting piece of history surrounding the Declaration of Independence is the final days surrounding the lives of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. It was on this day in 1826, the fourth of July, the anniversary of the day both of these men had signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, that they both died within five hours of one another.
Jefferson and Adams were the final surviving members of the original American revolutionaries who signed the Declaration of Independence. They shared a common cause in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; however, as time went on they differed more and more on how to achieve the American vision. Both men having served as presidents, Adams believed in a strong centralized government and Jefferson believed in a weaker federal government with more rights deferred to individual states.
Through years of heated arguments and differences, an animosity that had led to years of silence between the two ex-presidents, John Adams made the decision to contact Thomas Jefferson in 1812, wishing him many happy years to come. Thomas Jefferson responded with kind words and the two founding fathers looked past their differences and rekindled the friendship they had once had.
On July 4, 1826, at the age of 90, John Adams died. His last words were “Thomas Jefferson still survives”. But he was mistaken. Jefferson had died five hours before in Monticello at the age of 82.
1,165.6 miles to go.
