Whereas, on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
the members of the Second Continental Congress adopted The Unanimous
Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America
, popularly known
as the Declaration of Independence, asserting independence from Great
Britain;
Whereas the tri-state Greater Philadelphia Region played a
pivotal role in the founding of the United States of America;
Whereas the Greater Philadelphia Region was the site of
the meeting of the First and Second Continental Congresses, the drafting and
signing of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution,
seminal battles of the Revolutionary War such as Princeton and Brandywine, and
the historic encampment at Valley Forge;
Whereas individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, free
and enslaved Africans, and members of the Oneida Nation fought side by side in
the Revolutionary War to obtain liberty for all, thereby making the anniversary
of the founding of the United States an occasion to celebrate both the Nation’s
diversity and the common pursuit of its peoples;
Whereas several foreign governments and individuals from
nations such as France and Poland assisted the American colonies in their fight
for Independence, and several nations such as Morocco were early supporters of
the young United States of America, thereby making the anniversary of the
founding of the United States an occasion for international celebration;
Whereas the Greater Philadelphia Region has hosted major
celebrations honoring landmark anniversaries of the Nation’s birth, including
the Nation’s first world’s fair at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, the
Sesquicentennial of 1926, and the Bicentennial of 1976;
Whereas the Greater Philadelphia Region today contains
numerous historical sites connected to our Nation’s birth and
Revolutionary-period history, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell,
the Graff House site where Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of
Independence, the site of Benjamin Franklin’s house, the City of Dover, where
Delaware became the first State to ratify the Constitution, Valley Forge
National Historical Park, Washington Crossing Historic Park, Trenton
Battlefield State Park, the President’s House in Philadelphia, the Betsy Ross
House, Fort Mifflin, Christ Church, and the National Constitution Center;
Whereas the United States, through the National Park
Service, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of New Jersey, the State
of Delaware, and numerous organizations have established extensive museums,
tours, exhibitions, and print and online materials focused on interpreting the
events and sites of 1776, and commemorating their significance in the Nation’s
founding history, military history, social and ethnic history, and history of
African and African-American peoples in the Americas;
Whereas the year 2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of
the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and thereby our Nation’s
birth;
Whereas a national celebration of the Nation’s birth in
2026 will provide a milestone opportunity to commemorate the Nation’s historic
achievements, progress in social and civil rights, and contemporary
patriotism;
Whereas such a celebration will provide an important
opportunity to promote and celebrate the history, culture, traditions, and
experiences of the diverse peoples and groups that shaped our Nation’s history;
and
Whereas it would be symbolically significant, educational,
and exciting for families and visitors to commemorate the Nation’s
bicenquinquagenary at the physical places where the Nation’s founding events
took place: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives supports
a national and international celebration commemorating the 250th anniversary of
the United States of America’s birth, to be hosted by the Greater Philadelphia
Region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of Delaware, and the
State of New Jersey.