Did You Know?

• John Hancock, the president of the Second Continental Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration. With its ornate capitals, Hancock's sprawling signature is prominent on the document. Since then, when people are asked for their "John Hancock," they are being asked to sign their names. All 56 men who ultimately signed the Declaration showed great courage.
  
  Announcing independence from Great Britain was an act of treason, punishable by death.
  
  
• The Declaration of Independence itself has become one of the most admired and copied political documents of all time. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and revised by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence is a justification of the American Revolution, citing grievances against King George III. It is also a landmark philosophical statement, drawing on the writings of philosophers John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. It affirms that since all people are creatures of God, or nature, they have certain natural rights, or liberties, that cannot be violated.
  
  
• The American flag consists of 13 stripes (7 red and 6 white) representing the 13 colonies, a blue field at top left corner with 50 stars representing 50 states.
  
  
• We have had one president with a July 4th Birthday, Calvin Coolidge
  
  
• We have had three presidents die on July 4th, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and James Monroe
  
  
• July 4th was declared a National Holiday in 1941
  
  
• Bald Eagles have few natural enemies and are only found in North America