Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull
The Fourth of July is an American holiday because of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress in 1776 on July 4. Written by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration set out core principles of American civic life: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…”
How could these words be written and affirmed but withheld from just application to thousands of African people enslaved in North America at the time? Learn some the story in this History.com article:
Why Thomas Jefferson’s Anti-Slavery Passage Was Removed from the Declaration of Independence