I just find it comical and I know times have changed and things were thought of so differently back then but I just laughed when reading........ "all men created equal" as they went home that evening to their slaves. Then the comment about the Indians and the "Indian Savages" when talking about "our frontiers"..... WHOSE frontiers? I wonder how it would be written today? JR ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carpenter-Stano" <carstano@comcast.net> To: <PA-OLD-CHESTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, July 01, 2006 6:39 AM Subject: Re: [PaOldC] Happy 4th weekend > Good morning to you, Sandra and all of us who are reading your wonderful > message. > > It was the first message I read this morning and it made me sit back to > reflect on how wonderful a country we live in. Despite our current events > and trials, it made me think of our ancestors fighting for a life not only > for themselves, but for their families and the future, our future. Will our > battle for freedom ever end? > > Thank you for posting not only this history, but all that you post for us. > > Pat Stano-Carpenter > Massachusetts > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sandra Ferguson" <ferg@ntelos.net> > To: <PA-OLD-CHESTER-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Friday, June 30, 2006 6:02 PM > Subject: [PaOldC] Happy 4th weekend > > > > America was officially formed on July 4, 1776, when the Continental > > Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. > > The Continental Congress had declared the colonies free on July 2, 1776, > and > > most delegates signed it that day, but it took two more days for all the > > delegates to agree on a formal document announcing their action. > > There were no festivities to celebrate the signing of the Declaration > > of Independence, but there was a parade of Battalions, gun salutes, and > > cheers from the crowd when the Declaration was read publicly, on July 8th, > > of '76. > > The next year, on the 1st anniversary of the signing, Philadelphia > > celebrated with bonfires, the ringing of church bells and bands playing > > patriotic music. Fireworks were exploded, ships in the harbor fired 13 gun > > salutes (to salute the thirteen colonies) and every house in the city > > displayed a candle in the front window. > > Have a safe holiday weekend everyone. Hip,hip, hooray! > > > > Sandra > > > > > > > > Declaration of Independence" In Congress, July 4, 1776 > > The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America > > > > > > 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 requires 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 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 > > tothem shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. > > Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should > not > > be changed for light and transient causes; and cordingly all experience > hath > > shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are > sufferable, > > than to right hemselves by abolishing the forms to which they are > > accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing > > invariably the same Objects evinces a design to reduce them under absolute > > Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such > > Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. > > > > > > Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now > the > > necessity which contrains them to alter their former Systems of > Government. > > The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated > > injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of > > an absolute Tyranny over the States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted > > to a candid world. > > > > > > He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for > the > > public good. > > > > > > He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing > > importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be > > obtained, and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to > them. > > > > > > He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts > > of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of > Representation > > in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants > > only. > > > > > > He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, > uncomfortable, > > and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole > > purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. > > > > > > He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly > > firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. > > > > > > He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others > to > > be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapale of Annihilation, have > > returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in > > the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasions from without, and > > convulsions within. > > > > > > He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that > > purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to > > pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the > conditions > > of new Appropriations of Lands. > > > > > > He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to > > Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. > > > > > > He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their > > offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. > > > > > > He has erected a multude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of > Officers > > to harass our people and eat out their substance. > > > > > > He has kept among us in time of peace, Standing Armies, without the > Consent > > of our legislatures. > > > > > > He has affected to render the Military independent of, and superior to, > the > > Civil Power. > > > > > > He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our > > constitutions, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their > > Acts of pretended Legislation:For quartering large bodies of armed troops > > among us;For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any > > Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:For > > cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world;For imposing taxes on us > > without our Consent;For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of > > Trial by Jury;For transporting us beyond Seas, to be tried for pretended > > offenses;For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring > > Province, establishing therein an Arbitary government, and enlarging its > > Boundaries, so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for > > introducing the same absolute rule in these Colonies;For taking away our > > Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering, fundamentally, > > the Forms of our Governments;For suspending our own Legislatures, and > > declaring themselves invested with Power to legislate for us in all cases > > whatsoever. > > > > > > He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection, > and > > waging War against us. > > > > > > He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burned our towns, and > > destroyed the lives of our people. > > > > > > He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to > > complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with > > circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most > > barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. > > > > > > He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to > > bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their > friends > > and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. > > > > > > He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to > > bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless Indian Savages > whose > > known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, > sexes, > > and conditions. > > > > > > In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the > > most humble terms. Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by > > repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act > which > > may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. > > > > > > Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have > > warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend > an > > unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the > > circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to > > their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the > ties > > of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would > inevitably > > interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to > the > > voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in > > thenecessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold > the > > rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. > > > > > > We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in > > General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world > for > > the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of > > the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That > these > > United Colonies are, and of right ought to be Free and Independent States; > > that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that > > all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is > and > > ought to be totally dissolved, and that as Free and Independent States, > they > > have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish > > Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States > mayof > > right do. 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. > > > > > > > > -- > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > > Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.6/378 - Release Date: 6/28/2006 > > > > > > ==== PA-OLD-CHESTER Mailing List ==== > > Unsubscribing. 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--- Janean Ray <JRay38@neo.rr.com> wrote: > I just find it comical and I know times have changed > and things were thought > of so differently back then but I just laughed when > reading........ "all men > created equal" as they went home that evening to > their slaves. And to their wives and daughters too ... don't forget lack of real rights for females at that time. Men really meant male people only .... I've been watching a pretty good series on the Revolution and apparently Jefferson really struggled with this one (the slaves that is) and did want to include them but was hotly voted down. It is wonderful that our Constitution is a living document and we have been able to make changes to make our liberties more inclusive and contemporary with our times. Kathi Jones-Hudson MD Tombstone Transcription Project Manager http://www.rootsweb.com/~cemetery/maryland/maryland.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com