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Show . . _ THE NATION'S NATIONS ' BIRTHDAY . Declara Declara- Declaration Declaration Declaration - - the July 4th this.year thisyear . , marks the 159th anniversary anmversary of made madeeffectIve madeeffective madeeffective tal document which was tion of Independence that lInmOl immoital effectIve thiough thlough through the the , ' blood of our forefathers , and which was in in intended , . tended to vouchsafe to citizens cihzens of this nation the right to life , liberty lib- lib hb- hb hbtl libcity - tl city erty ty and the puisuit PUlSUlt pursuit of happiness happmess . A lesolufcion lesolution resolution favoring favormg independence mdependence from England was intro mtro introduced . duced in 111 the Continental Congress on June 7 , 1776 , by Richard RichardHenry RichardHenry RichardHenry Henry Lee of Virginia , and on June 10 a committee composed of of'l"homas ofThomas ofThomas 'l"homas lhomas Thomas ' " Jefferson , chairman , John Adams , Benjamin Frankhn Franklin , R R.R RR . . R . Livmgston Livingston and Roger Sherman , was appointed to diaw dlaw draw up a asUltable asuitable asuitable sUltable suitable declaration in m accordance with Lee's Lees ' resolution . The Declaration of Independence , was , as written by Jefferson Jeffersonwith , wIth slight s11ght amendments by Franklin Frankhn and Adams , and was pre- pre presented presented pre presented - - sented to the Congiess Congless Congress on June 28 . It was adopted on July 4 , and andthat andthat andthat that date became recognized recogmzed as the birthday of the new nation . After the document had been engrossed on parchment it wr'3 wr3 was wassigned wr'3signed WPSsigned ' signed by the delegates present in Congress on August 2 , 177 177) 177 1773.and 1773and J ) . , and by the absentees on later dates . One delegate , McKean of ofDelaware ofDelaware ofDelaware Delaware , did not sign until 1781 . . Of the 56 signers , seven had become members of Congress Congresssince Congresssince Congresssince since since July 4 , and of those present on that date , seven never CongressI sIgned sIgnedthe signedthe signedthe I the Dcclarahon Declarahon Declaration . Two of the signers , Adams and Jefferson , be- be became became be became - came President , and nearly all aU played important ides Ioles roles in the early earlydays earlydays days of the Republic . _ _ _ _ _ |