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How Does A Country Get a Birthday?
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This photo shows what the first buildings in Plimouth (yes--that’s how it was originally spelled!), Massachusetts looked when the earliest Pilgrims settled there. Photo courtesy of Plimouth Plantation. |
New countries are born in a few different ways, but it usually involves a battle of some kind. Sometimes the battle is over ideas or beliefs and sometimes it is over land or territory. When America was born, the battle was over both!
It started more than 100 years after the first settlers came to our shores--both at Jamestown, VA and Plymouth, MA. In time, new people came from all over Europe to the New World. Some came seeking material prosperity, hoping to make money trading goods from the new land with their old country. Others, like the early Pilgrims, were looking for freedom to worship as they pleased. They wanted to establish a new religious colony where God was the head and all the people believed the same things. They were hoping to create a theocracy. They were only partly successful, because after a couple generations of children were born, they started to question the beliefs of their forefathers.
As more and more people came, more new settlements were developed, each one based on a different view of faith and Christian practice. Eventually there were many settlements and the people united to become thirteen separate colonies.
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This is the flag that flew over the Colonies until after the Revolution--the flag of Britain as it looked from 1606-1801. Known as the Union Jack, it’s a bit different from today’s version. Image courtesy of crwflags.com. |
Remember that America wasn’t yet known as America--it was a rugged and distant outpost across a huge ocean. It was populated by natives who were not always friendly or welcoming to the new settlers.
The land we now live on had been claimed by Britain, so everyone who lived here was a British subject. The money used to buy and sell was the British pound, not the dollar. They had a different flag as well.
After several generations had lived under British rule, many of our finest leaders began to feel more and more like they were being treated unfairly by Britain. They felt they were being given unfair rules and laws and were especially unhappy paying taxes to Britain. They wanted to have more of a say in the way they were governed, because though they were accustomed to paying taxes--many of the colonies collected taxes--they didn’t believe that Britain had the right to tax them so harshly for their favorite things--like tea, especially.
Colonists Spread Their Ideas with Broadsides
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This Broadside was distributed around the Colonies to spread the news about the Boston Massacre. Though the five little coffins may look a little scary, they were a very common symbol in Colonial times. In fact, the skull and crossbones were often used on headstones as a symbol of resurrection, not death! Image courtesy of the Library of Congress. |
Things began to get tense in the colonies! In Boston and Philadelphia, colonists gathered and staged protests. They held meetings to debate their views, and they distributed pamphlets called “broadsides.” If you’ve ever thought about the American Revolution and wondered how people communicated with each other, sharing the ideas that knit our nation together, this is one way! Broadsides were used to express ideas, stir up feelings, complain about injustice or honor someone who had died. Once they came off the printing press, they were distributed quickly, so broadsides were a good way of communicating in the days long before television, radio or the Internet.
The Boston Massacre
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This photo shows some men re-enacting a battle of colonial America. They are dressed as British soldiers--Redcoats--similar to the soldiers who shot five people in Boston in the famous Boston Massacre. Image courtesy of newenglandphotoorg. |
As feelings for the idea of revolution from Britain grew, more and more of the colonists gathered in public places to show their feelings. One day in March of 1770, a large group gathered near Faneuil Hall, a popular place to discuss issues. They were unhappy that Britain had sent so many of their military troops to the city--Redcoats, they were called. In fact, a large group of Redcoats were there, watching the demonstration. Soon, a scuffle took place, pushing turned to shoving, harsh words were exchanged and tempers flared. Some people even threw snowballs at the Redcoats. The soldiers began to shoot into the crowd--with bad results. Sadly, five young men were killed and several others were wounded. This event became known as the Boston Massacre.
News about the Massacre spread fast. Enterprising colonists like Paul Revere used this event as another opportunity to build feelings about the Revolution. Revere produced an engraving that was sent all over New England. Many who had not been all that excited about the patriot’s idea of freedom from British rule changed their views.
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This is a copy of Paul Revere’s original engraving that showed the Boston Massacre. Revere’s illustration got people very excited about the idea of freedom from the British. Image courtesy of the UT, Knoxville. |
The Boston Massacre was just one of many
events--including the Boston Tea Party--that led to the Revolutionary War.
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The Boston Tea Party was not a party at all! It happened when a number of colonists got absolutely fed up with the taxes on tea--a favorite of Colonists--that King George III was demanding. On December 16, 1773 a group of men from the Sons of Liberty dressed up and boarded a British merchant vessel in the early morning hours. They threw thousands of pounds of tea into the harbor spoiling it, and showing the British that they were no longer willing to pay such harsh taxes. Image courtesy of AuthenticHistory.com. |
Christian Faith and the American Revolution
Remember that many of the most important leaders in America’s revolt from Britain were men and women of great Christian faith. They believed that God was leading them to found a new country, free from the harsh rule that a King or a Queen could inflict on them. It is easy to find lots and lots of great words from the Founding Fathers on the need to split from Britain--everyone was talking about it for many years before the Declaration of Independence finally was prepared.
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John Adams portrait courtesy of Texas A&M University. |
These quotes from our Founding Fathers show their belief in the new nation and God’s hand in it. When you read them, it is easy to understand how these beliefs all came together in the Declaration of Independence.
Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood.
--John Adams, 1765
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Portrait of patriot Samuel Adams courtesy of earlyamerica.com. |
Our unalterable resolution would be to be free. They have attempted to subdue us by force, but God be praised! In vain. Their arts may be more dangerous then their arms. Let us then renounce all treaty with them upon any score but that of total separation, and under God trust our cause to our swords.
--Samuel Adams, 1776
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Joseph Warren was a patriot and leader in the Revolution. He and his wife, Mercy were close friends of John and Abigail Adams. Portrait courtesy of the Massachusetts Historical Society. |
Nevertheless, to the persecution and tyranny of his cruel ministry we will not tamely submit--appealing to Heaven for the justice of our cause, we determine to die or be free.
--Joseph Warren, American account of the Battle of Lexington, 1775
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Thomas Jefferson wrote most of the Declaration of Independence. Portrait courtesy of the University of Georgia. |
The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time; the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them.
--Thomas Jefferson, 1774
The Declaration of Independence
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This painting, by John Trumbull was commissioned in 1817 and hung in the Capitol Rotunda in 1826. It shows the artist’s idea of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in what is now called Independence Hall, Philadelphia, on July 4, 1776. It portrays members of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence--John Adams, Roger Sherman, Thomas Jefferson presenting the document, and Benjamin Franklin--standing before John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress. The painting includes portraits of 42 of the 56 signers and five other patriots. Image courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol. |
As you can see, many events worked together with the beliefs and experiences of early American patriots to bring about the decision to break away from British rule. Once enough conviction had built up, the members of the Continental Congress decided to draft a document that would clearly explain why they felt they must pursue independence. They called on Thomas Jefferson to write it, and he did. Then the congress debated his document and removed portions of it. Eventually they had a statement of grievances against King George III that they could all agree on.
When you read the beginning of the Declaration, you can easily see the godly faith of the Founding Fathers coming right through:
“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 to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”
--The Declaration of Independence
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This is one artist’s idea of the hard working sessions that Jefferson, Franklin and Adams put into the writing of the Declaration. This painting is called Drafting the Declaration of Independence, by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin were named to a committee to prepare a declaration of independence. Jefferson (standing) did the actual writing because he was known as a good writer. Congress removed Jefferson's most exaggerated accusations from the document. Painting courtesy of the Library of Congress. |
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Abraham Lincoln photo courtesy of Lincoln.thefreelibrary.com. |
Lincoln on the Declaration
I have never had a feeling, politically, that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence . . . I have often inquired of myself what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy so long together. It was not the mere separation of the colonies from the motherland, but that sentiment of the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty not alone to the people of this country, but hope to all the world, for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weights would be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance. This is the sentiment embodied in the Declaration of Independence . . . I would rather be assassinated on this spot than surrender it.
--Abraham Lincoln
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Presidential Prayer Team for Kids Quiz |
Read these words from the Declaration over again.
True or false, Thomas Jefferson believed that God is the true Giver of all rights, no matter what country your citizenship is with.
True False
True or false, Jefferson believed that God allows and even wants His children to be happy and free. He made them that way.
True False
True or false, Jefferson believed that leaders get their privilege to govern from those whom they govern.
True False
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A Word to
PPT Kids |
The 4th of July is several days away, but it’s still a great time to learn about our country’s struggle for independence. As we watch other countries like Iraq in their struggle to form a government and to provide for their citizens, we should be grateful for the vision and passion of our forefathers. As they put their lives on the line for freedom, they knew that their “grand experiment,” if it worked, would impact many generations to come. And here we are, 231 years later, so very blessed to live in a country where we can pray freely. So as a kid who prays, remember to thank God for all the great things about living in America. Remember special people of the past and present who live for Jesus Christ—people like William Wilberforce and Jeremy Affeldt. And remember to pray for President Bush and all of our country’s leaders, because that’s a big part of what makes our country great.
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