Around Hastings: It's time to celebrate Declaration of Independence
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July 4, 1776, marks the day in America’s history when the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence which is the first of the three documents our nation is governed by.
The declaration stated that the American colonies no longer desired to be ruled by Great Britain and instead, wanted to be their own nation. The colonists began to arrive in the 1600s and between 1607 and 1732, Britain had founded 13 colonies. Georgia was the southernmost colony while New Hampshire was the northernmost. Pennsylvania made up the western boundary while the Atlantic Ocean was the eastern shore.
Because the colonists were required to submit tax payments to Great Britain and provide lodging, food and care free of charge to British soldiers, they rebelled. The Revolutionary War between the colonists and Great Britain began in 1775 as the colonists fought to be free of taxation without representation. The British were finally defeated in 1783.
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Each of the colonies had representatives who worked together to draft the document they felt would secure their independence once it was evident that Great Britain had no intention of giving the colonies any voice in their governance. These representatives were known as the Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson led the committee who wrote the declaration, and all 13 colonies signed the document, but the British government refused to acknowledge that declaration.
The original Declaration of Independence document is housed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., and is recognized worldwide not only as a declaration of freedom but as a message of human rights and self-governance. The preamble of the document is often considered the most important part of the document in that it captured the ideals that define our nation today.
The Constitution of the United States was drafted in 1787 in Philadelphia by some of the same men who drafted the Declaration of Independence. The Bill of Rights was the first Amendment to the Constitution, proposed in New York City in 1789 by the Congress then working under the direction of James Madison. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are documents designed to create and constrain a central government that could preserve the freedoms while the Declaration of Independence was designed solely to justify the breaking way of the colonies from Great Britain.
While the Constitution was designed to provide an ethical framework in which to govern the peoples, there was no provision for political party design and behavior because political parties did not exist at the time the Constitution was written.
More Around Hastings:
Trenton Walker headed to Maryland
Hearty congratulations to Hastings’ Trenton Walker who is headed to college at Hagerstown Community College in Maryland. Trenton, a hard-working young man both on and off the basketball court according to his father, teachers, and coaches, is looking forward to growing as a person and an athlete. His father, Corey Walker Sr. was a basketball coach for 27 years.
His older brother, Corey, is currently a forward who wears the No. 15 for the South Florida Bulls while he attends the University of South Florida. Both young men attended Bishop Snyder High School before accepting their college scholarships.
Christ United Methodist Church
VBS at Christ United Methodist Church at 200 E. Lattin St. begins today and runs through July 1. “Trip to Egypt with Joseph” is perfect for ages five through adult. The activities begin at 6 p.m. and end at 8. Crafts, singing, food, skits, games, and Bible stories are on the agenda as all journey from a pit to a prison to a palace! Registration appreciated but not required.
And the Christ United Methodist Church invites folks to their free fellowship dinner – and the 11 a.m. church service – on Sunday, July 3. Dinner will begin around 12:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall and attending church service is not required to join in the dinner. Those interested in taking meals home, please call 904-692-1771 and leave word about your take-out order.
Have a safe and respectful Independence Day weekend!
Contact Nancy Quatrano at nancy@nlquatrano.com by 5 p.m. on Fridays if you have information about Hastings for this column. Put “Hastings” in the subject line.
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: Declaration of Independence signed on July 4, 1776 | Around Hastings
