It is surprising how little the American public knows about the roots of our wonderful country. To me, knowledge of our great nation is how we show appreciation for all of the many freedoms that we possess.
I have asked several friends and fellow classmates, “When did Congress adopt the Declaration of Independence?” Surprisingly, an overwhelming amount of my peers could not correctly answer this fundamental question. I find it appalling that every American citizen cannot answer, if nothing else, our founding date!
As a result of the ignorance some people have expressed, I will tell you the 4 facts that, in my opinion, every American should know.
- First, as previously mentioned, every American should know the significance of July 4, 1776. On July 1, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia with representatives from 12 of the 13 colonies. After two days of deliberating, the delegates revised a statement made by Thomas Jefferson. On the 4th of that July, Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence.
- Second, we should all know the three different branches of government, who is at the head of them, and how they work together.
- Executive Branch: This branch is headed by the President. The President’s powers include directing government, commanding the Armed Forces, dealing with international powers, acting as chief law enforcement officer, and vetoing laws.
- Legislative Branch: This branch is headed by Congress, which is made up by the House of Representatives and Senate. The primary task of this branch is to vote and pass laws. They also have the power to impeach the president.
- Judicial Branch: This branch is headed by the Supreme Court. Its powers include interpreting the Constitution, reviewing laws, and deciding cases involving states' rights.
- Third, we should know what the Bill of Rights is.The Bill of Rights includes the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. From the Bill of Rights, we get liberties such as free speech, the right to bear Arms, the right against self-incrimination, and the reservation of states powers.
- We should all know about our first form of government, the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution, before our current constitution and the Bill of Rights of the United States (1781). Under these articles, the states remained sovereign and independent, with Congress serving as the last resort on appeal of disputes. Congress was also given the authority to make treaties and alliances, maintain armed forces and coin money. However, the central government lacked the ability to levy taxes and regulate commerce, issues that led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 for the creation of new federal laws.
