Editorial
American History

231 years ago the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and in their minds legally separated our country from Great Britain.

Today, we still honor that action - having officially won the war to garner that independence 224 years ago.

For many of us the holiday that we will celebrate on Wednesday has become a day for cookouts, parties and even a day at the beach.

Questions and debates have raged nationwide this year about the continuation of the war in Iraq, how to handle illegal immigration and how American students score on test compared to those in other country's.

None of these questions or debates have simple and easy answers. But neither did the debates that were held during the summer of 1776.

So on Wednesday take a minute to remember and to celebrate our countries history.

Remember that in 1776, 56 men gathered in Philadelphia, Pa., and signed a more than 1,300-word document formally separating the 13 colonies in American from British crown.

Over the course of 17-days Thomas Jefferson wrote the letter to King George of England. In the letter the country declared that it's citizens held certain truths to be selfevident: that all men are created equal and that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The youngest of the man who gathered to sign the document that day was Edward Rutledge, 26, of South Carolina, and the oldest was Benjamin Franklin, 70, of Pennsylvania.

History is full of facts and lessons. Take a moment and remember what our forefather stated they wanted.

Trivia Questions:

1) How large is the original copy of the Declaration of Independence?

2) How many men from Massachusetts signed the Declaration of Independence?

3) Which three presidents died on July 4? 4) Who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance?

Pledge in August 1892.

4) Francis Belamy wrote the original

1826; James Monroe in 1831 3) John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in

and Elbridge Gery. Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine

2) Five. They were John and Samuel

by 24-1/2 inches. 1) The document measures 29-3/4 inches

Answers: