Fellow Declarationists!

This is our great day, July the Fourth. Today we celebrate and reflect on the timeless truths of the Declaration, and give thanks to God for his providential favor to the republic founded on those truths.

Each generation must pass on the heritage of freedom; each must teach its young the story of liberty. 1776 is to America what the Passover was for ancient Israel. It is the year of liberty, the year that made us a people, and its great day, the Fourth of July, is the day to be recalled every year.

And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
–Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (RSV)

As heirs of the American Covenant, the Declaration, we must not only celebrate it, but study it.

As you may know, teaching the Declaration is the principal work of our Foundation. We just completed a year's study of American History and Civics with a group of high school students, via the internet. We used as texts The Oxford History of the American People and our own book, Declaration Statesmanship.

I'd like to share with you the concluding paragraph from one of the final exams. The writer is an 18 year old girl, and a fine person. She was homeschooled, and is going on to college this fall.

"The founding fathers declared independence, and tried to ensure that for posterity, but they did not promise or try to guarantee that their future citizens would be comfortable, secure, or prosperous. They did not sever their ties with England so that we would be "happy" but only so that we could have the pursuit of happiness. What they did give us was liberty, and even that gift would cost much to maintain. Perhaps Lincoln was afraid of that cost, as all of are at times. But whatever fear he may have experienced did not prevent him from paying the price."

When I read an exam like that, I rejoice for my country. And I am confident that, if we all do our duty, "government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

The Declaration Foundation wishes you all a Glorious Fourth of July,

Dr. Richard Ferrier
President, Declaration Foundation