4th of July 2026 marks the 250 anniversary of the day Congress approved the text of the Declaration of Independence, and therefore the birth of the United States of America.
The Declaration was signed by 56 patriots. By putting their names on that parchment, they were committing what King George III and British law defined as high treason—a crime traditionally punished by being hanged, drawn, and quartered. In effect they were signing their own death warrants.
They risked their wealth, their families, and their lives on a military gamble. If George Washington’s army had failed, those 56 names would have served as an official British execution list.
The handwritten parchment wasn’t actually signed until August 2, 1776. Even then, not everyone was present; delegates continued to add their names over the coming months. The final signer, Thomas McKean, didn’t sign his name until 1777. Continue reading “Happy 250th”
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