Please note the following error in last week's article https://civicsandcitizenship.org/reviving-the-declaration-its-modern-relevance George Washington was not a member of the Committee of Five. He was commanding the Continental army at the time. The Committee of Five members were John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Benjamin Franklin. I sincerely regret the error. …
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Decoding the Declaration: Founders’ True Intent
What was the objective of writing the Declaration of Independence? Examining primary sources allows us to discover much more than what is presented in history books. I was pleased to find this quote from Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Henry Lee, which discusses the objective of the Declaration. My explanation follows the letter. Letter to Henry Lee — 1825 This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and …
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Correction:
Please note the following error in last week’s article https://civicsandcitizenship.org/reviving-the-declaration-its-modern-relevance George Washington was not a member of the Committee of Five. He was commanding the Continental army at the time. The Committee of Five members were John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Benjamin Franklin. I sincerely regret the error.
Decoding the Declaration: Founders’ True Intent
What was the objective of writing the Declaration of Independence? Examining primary sources allows us to discover much more than what is presented in history books. I was pleased to find this quote from Thomas Jefferson in a letter to Henry Lee, which discusses the objective of the Declaration. My explanation follows the letter. Letter […]
America’s 250th Birthday Celebration Begins
You don’t have to wait to begin celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. Preparations have already started. It’s a year-long celebration! To find out more about how our country plans to celebrate, check out the website https://america250.org. Here you will find the goals and plans for our semiquincentennial commemoration. Emphasis On Becoming an Informed Patriot Our celebration will […]
Reviving the Declaration: Its Modern Relevance
Exploring the Declaration of Independence Americans may have learned about the Declaration of Independence at some point, but what they genuinely want to know is its relevance to today. I conduct workshops on this very subject. People come with high expectations to review or to learn for the first time what’s in this founding American […]

Celebrate and Cherish Independence
We are celebrating the Declaration of Independence, where our Founders declared that we have unalienable rights, “that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (including your property rights).” We learn of the self-evident truth that all men are created equal and that “all” means “ALL.” Yet, we find a significant number of […]
United We Stand: The Power of Participation
Recently, a relatively new American citizen, whose agenda includes abolishing prisons and defunding the police, won the nomination for New York City mayor. In California, there is a mayor, via social media, allegedly calling upon criminal gang members to stand up to ICE. Apply the Principles of Self-Government We the People get the government we […]
Understanding Civics: What is History’s Role?
My recent articles have generated an interesting question. As an example, see https://civicsandcitizenship.org/who-controls-america-states-or-federal-government. History buffs want me to include former times to show where and how they believe our country deviated or went off the rails in their opinion. They strongly desire me to shed the light they have on the issues. Why would I […]
Unity Over Division: A Call to Action
Washington’s Warning: A Timeless Truth George Washington, our first president, warned against Americans dividing into political parties and factions in his farewell address, on Saturday, September 17, 1796. “However [political parties or factions] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by […]
Embrace America’s Founding: A Call to Unity
Many Americans wonder, “How did we get where we are today?” They acknowledge that things have gone “off the rails.” We the People must embrace America’s founding principles instead of trying to change her into something she is not. Let’s challenge ourselves for a moment. The Imperfection of Generations Accept the fact that no generation […]