The primary obligation of any government, the Declaration of Independence tells us in its famous second paragraph, is the “safety and happiness” of its citizens. The necessity of securing safety is ...

It was the most important writing assignment in world history. In May of 1776, John Adams, an accomplished draftsman who penned the state Constitution of Massachusetts (still the world's oldest), ...

More than two centuries after July 4, 1776, the men who signed the Declaration of Independence — especially John Hancock — are famous. But the woman whose name also appears on the document, or at ...

Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript for the best experience. Historian Andrew Davenport arrived at Monticello with an extraordinary ...

[This year, my annual post celebrating the Fourth of July is drawn from a chapter of Our Republican Constitution: Securing the Liberty and Sovereignty of We the People, and from a short essay on the ...

Suffice it to say, America is somewhat undereducated when it comes to civics, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Now is the time to change this ...

Editor’s Note: Happy Independence Day! On July 4, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson gave the following Independence Day speech. Mr. Chairman and Fellow-Citizens: We are assembled to celebrate the one ...

It’s common for Americans on July 4 th to read and discuss the Declaration of Independence, and to reflect on its principles and ideas. Those principles and ideas are often attributed solely—though ...

July Fourth marked 249 years since the 13 American colonies rejected a British monarch and embraced freedom. But as we enter the first days of our 250th year on this Earth, it feels like we’re moving ...

Public schools in several U.S. states are required to teach students about the Declaration of Independence, contrary to a video claim that the U.S. public education system does not teach the document ...