Happy 249th Birthday America!
Photo by J.C. Martin and Story By America’s Founding Fathers For WestportLocalPress.com
How Old Is America? The Simple Answer:
The simple answer is that as of the July 4, 2025, the United States is 249 years old. The United States is 249-years-old because the Declaration of Independence was ratified by the US Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. The passing of the Declaration of Independence meant that the thirteen original British colonies in North America ceased to be colonies and officially (at least according to them) became a sovereign nation.
Today is a great day for parties, barbecues, etc. It is also a great day to read the Declaration Of Independence.
But there is more to it than that.
On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to declare independence. Two days later, it ratified the text of the Declaration. John Dunlap, official printer to Congress, worked through the night to set the Declaration in type and print approximately 200 copies.
The written Declaration of Independence was dated July 4th but wasn't actually signed until August 2nd. Fifty-six delegates eventually signed the document, although all were not present on that day in August. Two of the Declaration's signers died 50 years to the day (July 4, 1826) after the document was adopted. Both were presidents -- Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. They died within hours of each other. More can be found on the National Archives Website.
Below is a start and the link to the full Declaration, one of the greatest documents ever written by man.
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.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
To those who love fireworks and picnics but also have a desire to acknowledge and pay tribute to those who created the greatest nation in the history of the world, Morgan Freeman introduces some of the most famous celebrities in the world who read the document that change the course of history for us all.
We suggest it is worth viewing. It is a less than 15 minute video. If you do not have 15 minutes to watch in its entirety, the reading by Michael Douglas, Kathy Bates, Whoppi Goldberg, Edward Norton, Winona Ryder, Renee Zellweger and others begins at 4:30 into the video and is about 5 minutes.
Click the YouTube link below:
We Hold These Truths To Be Self Evident
And for the boomers and others who are well familiar with this voice, another reading: Senator John F. Kennedy Reading Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1957