I want to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday weekend as across America we celebrate and thank God for our nation and our freedom. Below is included a very short history of July 4th easily shared with your children or grandchildren. If we are to secure the future of this great experiment in democracy for the next generation we must be deliberate about instilling in this generation the understanding and appreciation for our liberty. As John Adams said, “Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people”.
Hope you can join us for this fun community event in Sugar Hill this evening.
Sparks in the Park
July 3rd, 2011
E.E. Robinson Park
6:30 p.m. – Midnight
The City of Sugar Hill invites you and your family to share a fun filled night with us. Celebrate and enjoy a free night of live music, rides, fireworks and a movie! Concessions and food will also be available.
- 7:15 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Zipper Zappers
- 9:40 p.m. National Anthem
- 9:45 p.m. Fireworks
- 10:00 p.m. Movie: Yogi Bear
Independence Day
During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. After voting for independence, Congress turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4. A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
Adams’s prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.
In a remarkable coincidence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, James Monroe, the Fifth President of the United States, died on July 4, 1831. Calvin Coolidge, the Thirtieth President, was born on July 4,1872, and thus was the only President to be born on Independence Day.
Wishing you and your family a Happy Independence Day!
Josh Clark
State Representative, District 98
612-E Coverdell Legislative Office Building
18 Capitol Square
Atlanta, GA 30334
O. 404-656-0325
C. 404-723-8989
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” – Margaret Mead
Josh, his wife, Chelsey, and his four children reside in Buford, Georgia, where he runs two local small businesses and is actively involved in the community. He currently serves on the executive board for the Berea School of Ministry, coaches his son’s baseball team and currently serves on the 7th District Committee of the Republican Party of Ga. They attend the “The Family Church,” First Baptist of Sugar Hill.
