“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.”

The words above are an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. That was the day the 13 American colonies regarded themselves as free and independent states. We were a new union – a new nation – the United States of America.

The declaration was initially published on a broadside sheet that was distributed and read to the public. The most famous version, however, is displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

But it is the words, alive in the hearts of Americans, that are the most important recording of the Declaration of Independence.

Abraham Lincoln based his political platform off of the declaration, and many Americans have died defending the very ideas penned by our nation’s forefathers.

The declaration promotes what we should be and what we should strive to be as a nation. Fifty-six delegates signed the Declaration of Independence. Lore surrounding the declaration suggests that John Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress, was the first to sign the document and did so largely, and with flair.

On this July 4, and as we move even more into a world with fast-paced living and technology that both unites and divides, let’s take a moment to remember that day in 1776. Let us always honor the brave act of that congress and live with a patriotism that would make Hancock proud.