WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS...

JFK+50:  Volume 6, No. 2000

UNITED COLONIES DECLARED THEMSELVES FREE & INDEPENDENT STATES 240 YEARS AGO

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (JFK+50) Two centuries and 40 years ago today, July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress, meeting here in Philadelphia, adopted the Declaration of Independence, a statement announcing the 13 American colonies were "and of right ought to be" free and independent states.

The Declaration, largely the work of Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, followed more than a year of armed conflict with Great Britain the "mother country."

The Declaration of Independence reads...

"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate  and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind require that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

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 & the pursuit of Happiness."

Most of the remainder of the document is a list of specific charges against His Majesty, King George III of Great Britain.  These charges are listed with the intent to demonstrate that the King had violated colonial rights.

Thomas Jefferson drew on George Mason's draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the English Declaration of Rights of 1689.

Declaration of Independence

July 4, 1776

"Yale Dunlap Broadside"

 printed by John Dunlap

PRESIDENT KENNEDY SPEAKS AT INDEPENDENCE HALL

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  (JFK+50) Fifty-four years ago today, Independence Day 1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke at Independence Hall here in the City of Brotherly Love.

The President said...

"To read it today is to hear a trumpet call.  For that Declaration unleashed not merely a revolution against the British, but a revolution in human affairs.  Its authors were highly conscious of its worldwide implications."

JFK & Mayor Tate View Liberty Bell

TWO PRESIDENTS DIE HOURS APART ON THE FOURTH OF JULY

Charlottesville, Virginia & Quincy, Massachusetts (JFK+50) One hundred ninety years ago today, July 4, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, two of the men most instrumental in its existence died just hours apart.

They were the second President of the United States, John Adams and the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson 

Mr.Adams last words were "Thomas Jefferson still survives", but he did not know that his old friend and sometimes adversary had passed away a few hours before.

Franklin, Adams & Jefferson

Committee to Draft 

the Declaration of Independence

USA'S FIFTY STAR FLAG

FIFTY STAR US FLAG UNFURLED 55 YEARS AGO 

Baltimore, Maryland (JFK+50) Fifty-five years ago today, Independence Day, July 4, 1960, the Flag of the United States of America bearing 50 stars was unfurled here in the city of Baltimore.

The new flag included a star representing the State of Hawaii which had been admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959.  

The design for the 50 star flag was the work of 17 year old, Robert G. "Bob" Heft* of Lancaster, Ohio.  Mr. Heft had created his design for a high school class project.  

His teacher, not overly impressed, gave him a B-, but after discussing the grade with his student agreed to change the grade to an A if the Congress of the United States approved his design.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower made a telephone call to Bob Heft to personally inform him that Congress had indeed accepted his design for the Nation's new flag.

John F. Kennedy became the first President of the United States to be inaugurated under the 50 star flag and the first to serve all of his presidential years under it.

Fifty Star Flag of the United States

*Robert G. Heft (1941-2009) was born in Saginaw, Michigan.  He became a high school teacher, college professor, and served as mayor of Napoleon, Ohio for 28 years.

Robert G. "Bob" Heft

December 5, 2009

Photo by Gage Skidmore

CC SA 3.0

VICKSBURG CAPTURED ON FOURTH OF JULY

Vicksburg, Mississippi (JFK+50) 152 years ago today, July 4, 1863, the strategic port city of Vicksburg fell to the Union.  The capture came after
the city had endured many months under siege.

President Abraham Lincoln said:  

"And now the Father of Waters goes unvexed to the sea.*

It has been said that the people of Vicksburg did not celebrate the 4th of July for the next 100 years.

Siege of Vicksburg

Painting by Kurz & Allison (1888)

Library of Congress Photo

JOHN ADAMS AND THOMAS JEFFERSON DIE ON THE SAME DAY

On the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1826.two of the men most instrumental in its existence died just hours apart.

John Adams of Massachusetts and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, both former Presidents of the United States, who had been at times political allies, and at other times political enemies, passed on as friends and mutual admirers.

John Adams last words were "Thomas Jefferson still survives", but he did not know that his friend had passed away at Monticello a few  hours before.

Franklin, Adams & Jefferson

Committee to Draft 

the Declaration of Independence