As we celebrate the 250th year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this Fourth of July, it is important to reflect on a bit of history on the important role the United States has played as a symbol of freedom and democracy.
When we think back on July 4, 1776, and the official signing of a document that would declare the rights of 13 colonies to govern themselves apart from the British Crown, what stands out is the equanimity of the men who spent many hours discussing each part of the 1,320-word document that would set the stage for what the U.S.A. would one day become.
The likely dynamic discussions are captured in an award-winning 1969 Broadway musical, “1776,” written from a book by Peter Stone. The play has been revived several times in New York and was made into a 1972 film.
Though the play is written with an amusing tone, it captures the disparate personalities among the delegates and how the conversations could have occurred.
As someone who enjoys history, another standout for me is the “Four Freedoms” speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt 11 months and two days before the U.S. entered World War II after a devastating attack on Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor.
On Jan. 6, 1941, President Roosevelt spoke in his State of the Union address about preserving four freedoms around the world in a call to support the war efforts overseas by supplying armaments to support countries fighting oppression.
These four Freedoms included: Freedom of Speech and Expression; Freedom of every person to worship God in his own way; Freedom from Want, which meant to secure every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants; and Freedom from Fear through reducing armaments to such a point that no nation would be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against another country.
Famous painter Norman Rockwell, known for his hometown style, was moved to create the freedoms mentioned in President Roosevelt’s speech. The Four Freedoms paintings became part of a 1943 government-sponsored tour of 16 cities, which raised more than $132 million in war bonds through displaying the paintings and offering prints to bond buyers.
As we celebrate locally, I would like to invite everyone to come see our county buildings that have been decorated in honor of this momentous occasion – from the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square to the Denton County Administrative Courthouse off Loop 288. Even our Court Judges are decorated to honor the 250th anniversary. Thank you to our Denton County Facilities Department employees who have labored many hours and worked with others to make this happen.
You are also invited to visit our Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum this summer to see The American Revolution Experience, a traveling exhibit hosted by The Flower Mound Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The exhibit gives insight into how the American Revolutionary War affected ordinary people who were trying to decide whether to remain loyal to the British Crown or pledge their loyalty to the Patriot cause of building a new nation – one that now celebrates 250 years of existence.
An opening reception is set for 5 p.m. on July 27th on the second floor of our historic Courthouse at 110 W. Hickory St. The exhibit will then be open Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays until August 12.
However you choose to celebrate our Semiquincentennial, I hope you will take time to reflect on how blessed we are to live in the land of the free, home of the brave.
Connect With Us: If you have any questions or comments, please let me hear from you. My email is [email protected], and my office number is 940-349-2820. For more information, register for my newsletter at Dentoncounty.gov/countyjudgenewslettersignup
