Historical Reflections on July 4th

The Declaration of Independence was signed on JULY 4, 1776.

It listed 27 reasons why Americans declared their independence from the 38-year-old King George III.

33-year-old Thomas Jefferson's original rough draft of the Declaration contained a line condemning slavery, as the King of England was part owner of the Royal African Company:
"He has waged cruel war against human nature itself ... in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither...suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce determining to keep open a market where MEN should be bought and sold."

The Declaration referred to God:
"Laws of Nature and NATURE'S GOD ..."
"All Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain unalienable Rights .."
"Appealing to the SUPREME JUDGE OF THE WORLD for the rectitude of our intentions ..."
"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of DIVINE PROVIDENCE, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

The Declaration of Independence bypassed the King, declaring that the Creator gives rights to each person.

Many of the 56 signers sacrificed their prosperity for their posterity.

Of the Signers:
Eleven had their homes destroyed;
Five were hunted and captured;
Seventeen served in the military, and Nine died during the war. Americanminute.com