[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 15 (Monday, April 16, 2007)]
[Pages 444-445]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 8124--Thomas Jefferson Day, 2007

 April 11, 2007

 By the President of the United States

 of America

 A Proclamation

    On Thomas Jefferson Day, we commemorate the birthday of a monumental 
figure whose place in our Nation's history will always be cherished. 
Thomas Jefferson was a scholar, statesman, author, architect, and 
patriot, and today we celebrate his many accomplishments and lasting 
legacy.
    Thomas Jefferson continues to capture our imagination because our 
country still echoes his ideals. In 1776, as a young lawyer from 
Virginia, he drafted the Declaration of Independence for the Continental 
Congress and articulated the American creed. From that document was born 
a Nation with a message of hope--that all men are created equal and 
meant to be free. The words Jefferson penned were a bold statement of 
revolutionary principles, and they have lifted the lives of millions in 
America and around the world.
    As the third President of the United States, Jefferson worked to 
realize the vision he held for our young democracy. He signed 
legislation in 1802 that established the United States Military Academy 
at West Point, New York, and began the great tradition of service 
academies that have contributed immensely to the defense of our freedom. 
He believed in the possibility of westward expansion, doubling the size 
of our Nation with the Louisiana Purchase and encouraging the Lewis and 
Clark Expedition to help open the unknown West for future development.
    Thomas Jefferson served his fellow citizens in many other important 
roles, including

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Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State, and Ambassador to France. Yet, 
of his many accomplishments, Thomas Jefferson will always be remembered 
for his belief in liberty and in the ability of citizens to govern their 
own country and their own lives. As we celebrate his birthday, we are 
proud that the Nation he helped establish remains free, independent, and 
true to the ideals of our founding. Today, the United States of America 
is the world's foremost champion of liberty, moving forward with 
confidence and strength, and an example to the world of what free people 
can achieve.
     Now, Therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States 
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 
and laws of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim April 13, 
2007, as Thomas Jefferson Day. I encourage all citizens to join in 
celebrating the achievements of this extraordinary American, reflecting 
on his words, and learning more about his influence on our history and 
ideals.
     In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day 
of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the 
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
first.
                                                George W. Bush

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:49 a.m., April 13, 
2007]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on April 
16.