As we approach America’s 250th birthday, it’s a great time to remember our country’s heritage and teach kids the importance behind this momentous occasion! From the Founding Fathers who were relentless in their quest for freedom, to the ordinary Americans across the country who made Independence Day the celebration that it is today.
The Declaration of Independence, written in 1776, announces a complete break with Britain. A group of men wrote this document to clarify exactly why they were willing to risk everything. Thomas Jefferson, with the help of John Adams, and John Adams with the help of Abigail Adams, with her “remember the ladies” letter, declares in the Declaration that all men are by nature equally free and independent and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.
Freedom, liberty, and happiness expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded.
Happiness: Rather than temporary pleasure, relies on a society where citizens are entrusted with the personal space to innovate, learn, and improve their communities. Happiness of the people is the sole purpose of government. Happiness is something that we can all aspire to.
Freedom: Means respecting the moral autonomy of each person, seeing each person as the owner of his or her own life, and each free to make the important decisions about his life. But you can only have those freedoms when the law protects your freedom and everyone else’s.
Liberty: The right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe and the mystery of human life. Each of us should be free to think, to speak, to write, to create, to marry, to eat and drink, to start and run a business, to associate with others as we choose. To start off the 250th anniversary of America the people of Elysian and the surrounding area joined together on June 27th to celebrate the great country God gave us to live in, the United States of America.
The Elysian American Legion Post 311 Honor Guard opened the event with...
To see more on this story pick up the July 2, 2026 print edition of the LifeEnterprise paper.