It was July 2nd, 1776. The Second Continental Congress were gathered in anunairconditioned room to declare our freedom from Great Britain. The 56 menthought they would need a document that would explain this action to the citizens. Five of these men were tasked with drafting this historic document: John Adams,Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. Two days later, with numerous changes and probably a few agonizing edits, it was finally approved and signed by the members of Congress who were present at the time. There were only seven members who did not add their signature. It was sent to a printer where 200 copies were made – only 26 copies remain today. It wasn’t until August 2nd, that the Congress began putting their signatures on the document we know today as The Declaration of Independence. 30 days total. I wish our United States Congress 2025 could work that efficiently. They didn’t even have telephones let alone the internet. Don’t get me started on AI. Just think how fast the Declaration could have been penned today. Mere hours perhaps. Still, it was a pivotal moment in history. The Declaration articulated the fundamental principles of self-governance, individual rights, and the pursuit of liberty, laying the philosophical groundwork for the birth of the United States of America as a sovereign nation. We hope your 4th of July 2025 was spent not just with the fireworks, barbeques, parades, family and friends but with a sense of pride. Let’s remember that our founding fathers did a monumental job of ensuring that we could remain a free nation.