tv Declaration of Independence Reading CSPAN August 4, 2024 4:30am-5:45am EDT
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how's everybody? good morning. happy 4th of july. welcome the national archives. i'm alison and i thank you for being today. i love being down for the kick off of america's big birthday party. so good morning to you. and i want to thank the experienced band for keeping us entertained. let's hear it for the band band. the national archives, of course, is the permanent home, the declaration of independence for 50 years. the archives hosted a ceremony on this july 4th to celebrate our independence. and this is kickoff event for all of today's patriotic activities in our nation's. and right after the ceremony, right here to enjoy more live, followed by the national day
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parade right here on, constitution avenue or it's hot today. you can escape the heat on inside the national archives to see the original declaration of, independence and participate in so many family activities. and then later this evening, of course, the symphony orchestra will present its annual concert, a capitol fourth in front of the u.s. capitol. and then after the concert, of course you can enjoy those beautiful fireworks on our national mall. and many of you might have noticed our volunteers. the big signs with today's hashtag and other social media information. but if you haven't seen them or can point your attention to somebody with the sign, because we want everybody to know about the great ceremony, the is happening right now, please post post post on social media. the national archives is on instagram and on access. u.s. nat archives. so post away, please share your 4th of july experience using
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hashtag archives july four and after the ceremony, don't miss special declaration of independence signing that booth will be set up inside the museum along with other great family activities. so please stay around, enjoy the day, celebrate our independence and now i ask that we all please rise for the presentation of the colors by the second continental color guard from the third u.s. infantry infantry regiment. the old guard. and that will be followed by the marymount university chamber singers singing the national anthem.
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now we have the third u.s. infantry regiment, the old guard fife and drum corps. their uniforms are from the revolutionary war era and so is their music. and i'm pleased present command sergeant major lutricia fields to narrate their performance. please join me and the old guard fife and drum corps.
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good morning, ladies and gentlemen the united states army military of washington under the of major general trevor j. camp is proud to present the united states army old guard fife and drum corps since 1960. the old guard fife and drum corps has carried on the army's tradition excellence, acting as the official to the president of the united states, the corps wears uniforms patterned after those of general washington's continental army in order to be easily identified military musicians, were the reverse colors. the assigned regiment at. that time, american infantry soldiers, blue coats with red facings. thus the musicians were redcoat with blue facings during the revolutionary sounds of the fife bugle and drum could be heard across the battlefield as brave soldiers spot for our nation's
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soldier musicians harness the unifying power of music to rally the troops, express cultural and entertain on the night of paul revere, a historic ride bugler able benson also rode sounding the zeo lou served as a fifer and drummer in two american wars and was praised for his bravery at the battle of bunker hill, a female bugler from michigan disguised herself as a man to fight in the american civil war under alias frank martin, alexander johnson, a drummer and civil war veteran, brought music back to his community by establishing a drum and bugle corps soldier. musicians been influential in shaping our nation's history. we're honored to highlight their individual contributions and recognize their selfless service.
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composed on the home front and penned in soldier's diaries. folk melodies have connected and us throughout our nation's history. the corps honors the legacies of our country's soldier musicians and all who have served with our stately and traditional troops. set here two dotting of the day, a shared pride in our nation and the desire to find comfort in a new home ultimately brought americans together to fight as
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the old guard fife and drum corps. wonderful thank you so much. well, even though please be seated. i know it's hard, even though this is the permanent home of the declaration, independence. that extraordinary piece. parchment is just one of billions of documents held trust by the national archives. has the pieces of paper, the photographs, the films and the holdings of the national archives tell the story of the mammography in the united states and the mission of the national archives is to make these documents available. you, the american people.
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now i'd like to introduce you to very important person to whom our nation has entrusted the care of the declaration of independ. please welcome to the podium the 11th archivist of the united, dr. colleen shogan colleen shogan. good morning, everyone. happy independence day. it's great to see you here on the 240th anniversary of the declaration of independence. this is my second 4th of july as archivist of the united states. and i'm thrilled to be with you here today. i want to thank for graciously joining us again this year as the emcee. it's been come a great tradition as we celebrate our independence this morning. i want take a moment to reflect on the document we are here to celebrate today. you know we have 13 and a half
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billion documents in the national and the declaration. independence is my favorite. we all know that the declaration is the document that created united states. it asserted our separation from great britain as a new sovereign nation despite its title. the declaration does a lot more than just declaring our independence. and that's why i love it so much more importantly, it declares that all people are created equal and that everyone possesses individ rights that cannot be away. these statements can. yes. applause applause. these statements containing the declaration are self-evident as jefferson, but they are not self. the responsibility making sure our nation lives up to these
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ideals is not the job of politicians. rather, our job as citizens of a democracy. so as we come together here on the 4th of july in our nation's capital, let's do things first. let's celebrate the progress we have made in, fulfilling the promises contained in the declaration of independence from seneca falls to selma. we have claimed our rights in of a more perfect union. it is not always been easy, but we are more just and a more equal nation because of these struggles. john adams, who's here today famously wrote to his wife, abigail adams. also here that our independence should be celebrated with pomp and parade, with games, sports
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bells, bonfires, illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more. now, i don't know about a bonfire today, but we will certainly celebrate here at the national archives. secondly, in addition, our celebration today, i challenge everyone here to think how we can continue the journey begun by thomas jefferson and our founders. why this important? because the hard of democracy is never over. we can never become complacent when it comes to the pursuit and protection of our god rights. and while it's important to declare those rights proudly, as we will today, when we listen to the declaration, read loud, we need to stand behind them as well. now, as i said, the beginning of my remarks today is america's
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248th birthday. that means we have a big one coming up in only two years as, we prepare for our nation's 250th anniversary in 2026. i can share today that the motto we have selected for our celebration across, the national archives is declaration. 250. as the home of the declaration, we will be celebrating the ideals, equality and liberty enshrined in commemorating 250 years of resilience and the pursuit of happiness. we will be announcing an entire worth of events, discussions and activities soon. and the good is everybody is invited. now i'm honored to welcome the 19th chief master sergeant of the air force, joanne bass is our keynote speaker today, chief bass served three decades in the
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united air force. she deployed for operation southern watch enduring freedom and, iraqi freedom. and in 2020, she became, the first woman in our nation's history to be appointed as highest ranking noncommissioned in any branch of the united states military. congratulations on your accomplishment and your unique place in the history of the armed services in today's ever changing world, we face countless challenges at home and abroad. your was both indispensable and inspirational chief bass. i'm honored you chose to join us to join us today. and thank you for your service. please join me in welcoming joanne bass to the podium.
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give morning. thank you so much, dr. good morning, ladies. and gentlemen. how many of y'all are glad to be here today? how many of y'all are glad it's not 100 degrees out there? i am so excited to be here with. you in our nation's capital. dr. shogun, national archives. thank you so much for this incredible. let tell you all about this amazing nation that we serve. when the daughter of immigrants with very humble beginnings could stand before you on the steps of our national archives to celebrate. our 248th independence day. my father came here from germany
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with my grandparents when he was just four years old in search for a better life. he joined the united states army and met mother, one of the hardest working people i know while serving in korea. the both of them me life principles like treating your neighbor well and to put in the work. in fact, i had to put in some work to even get $5 when i was growing up. how many of y'all had that same experience experience because of those principles? i got to see their daughter go on and serve in the united states. force your air force, america closing. that's. closing out career as the 19th chief master sergeant in the force. caring for and advocate for the over 689,000 total force airmen for more than four more than
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three decades. as a u.s., it was really easy choosing my outfit every morning. i had the great of wearing our nation's cloth every single day, along with a pair of combat boots serving in your air force that flies fights and wins and air power. any anywhere. so that we can have the freedoms that we all have today. y'all give air force a hand clap. speaking of air power. before i go on, if you are a military member or a veteran, i'm going to ask you to please stand here, raise your hands and you all join me in giving these folks a big hand clap of appreciation. thank you.
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our military members and veterans represent. only 1% of american who serve or who have served in our military. and we thank you so much for service and your sacrifice. and to everyone out here online who has a family member or a friend who serves. thank you your support is to the men and women in uniform. it allows them to do what they do day in and day. thank you for your support to our military. and i'm at it for those of you who might consider joining the military. i know i'm not a recruiter, but i absolutely encourage you to do so. in fact when people ask me why i join and i let them know that when i graduated high school i
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wasn't quite mature yet to go to college. and i had a dad who was not to pay for college. i needed a g.i., you know, i also remember my dad saying four years in the military never hurt anybody. how many of you all heard that? well, he was right. and for years, never heard anybody. and four years turned into 31 years. and having the opportunity to serve alongside of the greatest americans. i'll know i have gained a true understanding of what it means to serve. in fact, in my former pentagon office and now in my home office kept three pictures along wall with three foundational principles that. i always wanted to make sure that i front and center. the first principle never forget where you came from. this is a picture of my dad. me, the oath of enlistment. one of the proudest moments.
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my life. and probably his. never mind the. nine d's air hashtag net. the second picture. never forget you do what you do. this is a picture of airman class elizabeth lias jacobson among the first killed in the iraq. she is my personal reminder that we stand on the shoulders of giants and we owe it to those who pay ultimate sacrifice to contain you. the fight to protect america. because freedom. and the third principle never, ever quit learning. that was a picture of the barn center, an air force center of excellence in montgomery, alabama, where airmen go to acquire new skills, training and education and service to america. those three foundational
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principles. they're not just mine. those are american principles. we can trace them back to our founding documents housed right behind me, preserved by dr. shogun and her incredible scratched that thin and fading, parched is the iron foundation of everything we have accomplished as americans. those documents tell us we come from why we're here and. they empower us to continue to learn in improving and perfecting this experiment called democracy. it's we went from a small agriculture shrunk economy in 1776 to the most powerful nation on earth in just few short centuries. it's how we liberated the world
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from not just once, but twice in the 20th century. it's how we went from learning how to fly in 1903 to putting a man on the moon of the span of a lifetime. it's how we america gave the world a light bulb and the telephone and the automobile and the the computer and the smart phone. we even gave the world baseball and football. by which i mean american football. your the real football where actually use your hands. we know who we are. we know why we do what we do. and we never, ever stop learning and improving. these principles. those documents that power our nation, that beautiful flag, ours. they belong us.
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if you just look around, even today, we are a diverse people from walks of life with different beliefs. and on occasion we even support different football teams. though how anybody could not support the best nfl team, the kansas city chiefs. i shall never. all right, chiefs fans fans. but what matters most than any difference we ever have, that we have a similar vision as americans, a love of peace liberty and a commitment to ensuring that our children enjoy the freedoms that we all so cherish today today. but here's the catch. preserving those freedoms will
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require a whole of nation and a commitment to service fact, if we can all call it a national call to service, and not just by the folks wear a military uniform. this will require all of us. it will require our government. it will require industry. you will academia. it will require our community. it is every single one of us to do our part. businesses, teachers, coaches firefighters, policemen, congressmen and women. parents, neighbors. and you know who else is going to require our children? kids, we need and i see a bunch of kids out today to be the best of yourself. that means studying hard. honing your science and math skills. learning a trade like carp, plumbing, electrical work. we need good tradespeople. america today and we also need
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children to go to college. and most of all, to to be good citizens. and i get it. i get that. i have. two kids. if it also means those viral dance moves and becoming an influencer is we need it all. and for those of you who feel like i did, we also need you in our military. of course am particular. go air force with our army air force. navy, marines. coast and our newest branch of service. space force. we need talented people who think critically and have skills of all kinds and willingness to serve. however, whether you serve the military or not, if i can challenge you in any way just like dr. shokin did. i'd like to challenge you in two
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ways that every single one of us here today concern serve. and first, that is by recognizing the good in our fellow americans. while we are a diverse nation with different beliefs and opinions, we are all a americans. and we must not allow our disagreements to. take away the fact that we are united and we are free and we are the greatest nation in the world. and there is far more that unites every single of us than will ever divide us and sickened by. getting involved in your whether volunteer in schools, coaching our mentoring our youth, cleaning up around the community, joining a civic organization or giving a few
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hours of your time a local shelter as, dr. shulgin said. the hard work of democracy is never over and our towns and neighborhoods the best place to carry on that work. the bottom line, regardless of how you i'm asking and every single one of you here to just serve serve. so many of us grew up looking at the u.s. flag in our classrooms, perched right there beside the chalkboard. back then, as a kid, i did at all realize the power in that. in i simply saw a brightly colored banner not knowing the true meaning of the flag of the united states america. years later, my view changed. i saw it as my duty to carry that flag with strength and pride and to carry it in my uniform every single day.
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and only today do i see the full reality that i wasn't carrying that flag that flag was actually carrying me. it's what brought me the daughter of two immigrant who love this country deeply here before you today for this incredible honor. so for those of you who can, would you please stand join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to reaffirm our commitment to democracy, freedom and loyalty to this amazing nation. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands. one nation under god indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. thank you.
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ladies and gentlemen, on this independence day, may we choose, serve our nation in some capacity, city or another. may we choose to see the good in one another. our fellow american. and may we take care of each other with brotherly love. may god bless you. may god bless america. happy birthday, america america. thank you so much. and now i'm happy to introduce to you a very group of people who will the declaration of independence, our first. yes. our first three readers are general george washington. mr. john hancock and abigail
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adams. next to read the grievances is against king george. the third. we have three of the leaders of the second continental congress with, us, mr. thomas jefferson. mr. john adams and dr. benjamin. these three gentlemen know the words the declaration better than anyone else. all three served on the committee to draft declaration and mr. jefferson was the primary author and to read the names of the 56 signers of the declaration. we are proud to have private edward ned hector of the third pennsylvania artillery company, free black colonial soldier, patriot and hero. and. finally, you're not off the hook, going to have some
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audience participation just as our colonial forefathers would have done as our special guest read the grievances against king. watch for james thornton. where are you, james? watch for james morton historical abolitionist philadelphia sail maker and our town crier. today he'll by our volunteers holding the signs, telling us when we will express our displeasure with a hearty boo. can we try it boo? you can do better than that. can we do it? that was a voice from somewhere back here. can you do better than that. and now the declaration of end dependance. what we're going to throw in congress. july 4th, 1776. the unanimous declaration of the
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13 united states of america by the. when in the course of human, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the and equal station to the laws of nature and of nature's god entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impelled them to the separation. we hold these truths be self-evident, that all are created equal. da da. oh, that they are by their creator with certain unalienable rights. that among are life. liberty, the pursuit of happy.
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da da. that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just power from the consent the governed. ha da ah ha da. that any form of government becomes of these ends. it is the right of people to alter or abolish it by da and to institute new government laying its on such principles and organizing its powers such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. da da prudence indeed will dictate that long established should not be changed for light and transient causes. ha da da da. and accordingly all experience
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hath shown that mankind are more to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. but when a long train of and usurpations pursuing invariably the same object evinces designed to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right. it is their duty to off such government and to provide new guards for their future security. da how such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies and such now? the necessity which constrains them to alter this former system of government? haidar how does the history of the present king of great britain is the history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment
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of an absolute tyranny over these. they. to prove this, let be submitted to a candid world. na na. arbiter of washington. he has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome necessary for the public good. boon proximo. he has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance unless suspended in their operation and till his assent should obtained. and when sosa's depended, he has utterly neglect to attend to them. boon oh.
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he refused to pass laws for the accommodation of districts of people unless. those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature to a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. bo oh. he has together legislative bodies at places uncomfortable and distant from the depository of public records, for the sole purpose of fitting getting them into compliance with his measures. boo boo. he has dissolved represen houses repeatedly for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. bo bo, he has refused force a
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long time after such dissolutions to cause others to be elected whereby the legislative incapable of annihilation have returned to the people for at large, for their exercise the state remaining in mean time exposed to all dangers of invasion from without and convulsions within boon whom he has endeavored to prevent the population of these states. for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalized of foreigners, refusing to pass others encourage their migrations hither, and raising the of new appropriations of lands. the he has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to laws for
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establish issuing judiciary powers o. he has made judges depend ardent on his will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries, but o he has erected a moat tude of new offices and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance. o no. he has kept among us in times of peace, standing armies without, the consent of our legislature. bo o no. he has affected to render the military in of and support area to the civil power. o he has combined with others to
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subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by laws given assent to their acts of pretended legislation. quartering bodies of armed troops among us for protecting them by. a mock trial from punishment. any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states for cutting off our trade with all parts of the world, for imposing taxes on us without out our consent consent, for depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury, for transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses, for abolishing the free system of english laws, a
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neighboring province, a therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging boundaries so as to render it at once. an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies for taking away our charters. abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering founding the forms of our governments for, suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. o he has abdicated government here by declaring out of his protection and waging war against us. oh no, he has plundered our seas
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ravaged, our coasts burnt our towns and destroyed. the lives of our people. o. he is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in most barbarous ages, and totally unwise worthy the head of a civilized nation. o. he has constrained fellow citizens, taken captive on the high seas, to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren or to fall themselves their hands. o o he has excited domestic
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amongst us and endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of the frontiers. the marcellus indian savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages. sexes and conditions. o. o. o. o. don rhode island in stage of these oppressions have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms. our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. a prince whose character is thus marked by act, which may define tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. oh. oh. oh. oh. nor have we been wanting in attention to our british. we have warned them from time to
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time attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable juristic over us. we have them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement. we have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity. and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred, to deceive for these usurpations would inevitably interrupt our connections in correspondence. they, too, have been deaf to the voice of justice and consanguinity. we must therefore acquiesce the necessity which denounce justice our separation, and hold them as. we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace, friends oh, no. the brother we, therefore, the
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representatives of the united states of america are the o in federal assembled, appealing to the supreme judge of the world for rectitude of our intentions. do in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies. no. o solemnly publish and. declare that these united colonies are and of right are to be free. and independent states. o. na other. o o o. o o. that they are full of all allegiance to the british crown, and that all political connection between and the state of great britain is and ought to
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be totally dissolved. o o holder and as free and independent states they have the full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independence may of right do. but o court na and for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to other our allies, our fortunes and our sacred honor. o. o. o o. partner. o o.
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hunter. o r. thank you, general. mr. hancock mrs. adams. mr. jeffers and mr. adams. dr. franklin and mr. horton. how stirring it is to hear those words just as they were written. 248 years ago. how about another rousing round of applause applause. now, private hector read the names of the states and the signers, the declaration, and we will our approval. you heard it right there by shouting huzzah! can we hear it. oh, once again. watch the town crier, assisted by our volunteers holding those signs to show you.
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when to shout. so after private hector reads the names of the signers from each state, let's have the ar approval. but first, let's practice one more time. a hearty huzzah on the count of three. here we go. one, two, three. huzzah! beautiful! now, remember, we're going to wait for a private hector to read all the names from each state, and then we're going to shout out our approval with a huzzah. and now the names of the signers of the declaration of independence. my friends know, my fellow citizens. words are powerful, are they not? and are the words that made who what we are made and to the nation that we have become. these are people that were willing to stand and lead us
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into a new reality. a new nation, a new people. join me as we honor these people and just so that are straight on this. there's no man that i know of that would ever claim that what he that he really does only on his own. we forget about the women some time that are behind what gets done. so even though the names of the women may not be spoken, let's keep them in our hearts, not the. join press o the continental congress the item. all john hancock hussar georgia
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the button. gwinnett lei man hall and george war are the north carolina way. william hoop. joseph hugh and john ha ga o south carolina. edward rutledge, thomas heyward, junior. thomas lynch junior and arthur medal. todd huszar ma la. edward rutledge thomas heyward junior. and i believe i'm reading wrong group. you know what.
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rob barnes. benjamin. rush. benjamin franklin. john morton. george clymer. james smith. george taylor. james watson. and george. ha, la delaware. where? let me hear. good, good. caesar. rodney. george. read and thomas met king. ha, ha. new york. william floyd. philip livingston. francis lewis and lewis. morse. hudson oh.
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glad to see you here, steven hopkins and william ellery. oh. oh. cardinal kent. roger chairman. samuel huntington. where are you? williams. oliver walcott. ha ha. and attesting to these. the secretary. charles thompson. ha da. i. and my fellow americans. let us all rise up our boys and have a nation do what has been written to what we have put our lives to everybody. ha ha ha ha. oh.
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thank you, private hector. now be we have the program finale. i, i want to tell you about some of the activities that we have inside the national archives for you today. the building will close at 7 p.m., so don't miss chance to see the declaration of independence the constitution, the bill of rights and the magna carta. we also have special hands on july family activities in the museum until four and make sure to stop by national archives store tonight for exclusive independence day products support, educational outreach and like this at the national. and i'd also like to thank the people who make this year july 4th celebration possible. the national archives foundation and and sponsors of this great event. comcast corporation. microsoft soft corporation. john hancock and deichmann.
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and 19th chief master sergeant. the air force. joanne jo are keynote speaker. how wonderful the american historical theater re-enactors portraying thomas jefferson, john adams and benjamin franklin and our representative, the continental army private ned hector and guests general george washington, john john hancock, abigail adams and james ford and we'd like to thank the continental color guard from the third u.s. infantry, the old guard and the third u.s. infantry regiment. fife and drum corps, the university chamber singers director, dr. kimberly millicent scarlett, and the experience band and show. and of course, we wouldn't have this celebration even without the hard work and this of the staff and volunteers at the nas national. and i also want to thank you for joining us to commemorate the 248th anniversary of our
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declaration of independence. the national independence day parade starts at 1145, right after the ceremony. but before the parade starts, the experi ince band in show will join us onstage more for some live music. i wish you all gathered here today and beyond a wonderful 4th of july and i hope you stay our finale and take part in our activities this afternoon. be sure to share your 4th of july experience on social media. use that hash tag archives. july four. and now please remain seated as we welcome miss millicent scarlett, who will close our program with america the beautiful beautiful. who you flew for space, just skies for us we love during, for
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