Two hundred and fifty years ago, the founders of our great republic gathered in Philadelphia to fulfill a God-given destiny: the freedom and independence of the United States of America. Fifty-six men – representing legions of liberty-loving patriots across the 13 colonies – pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to sign the legendary Declaration of Independence and proclaim the American ideal that all men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. On that sweltering summer day in the heart of Pennsylvania, these noble patriots not only birthed a new nation but also enshrined a series of sacred truths in our Declaration of Independence, truths that transcend time and space, and that create the greatest force for virtue, peace, prosperity, and greatness on the face of the Earth.
In June 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia addressed the Second Continental Congress and proposed that the American colonies sever ties with British rule and become free and independent states among the nations of the Earth. Thomas Jefferson was tasked with giving this historic commitment its voice, and he labored over every line until the Congress adopted his immortal words on a momentous day in July. The 56 men who signed Jefferson's Declaration pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to a single revolutionary truth: "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
For eight long and bloody years, American patriots, led by General George Washington, took up arms to defend this creed, enduring immense hardships and sacrifices so that the flame of liberty could endure. They fired the first shots of the Revolution at Lexington and Concord, held the line at Bunker Hill despite overwhelming odds, crossed the icy Delaware on Christmas night to deliver a decisive blow to enemy forces, and endured the harsh winter at Valley Forge, until the indomitable spirit that would define our nation overcame the most powerful army in the world at Yorktown, securing for all posterity the blessings of American freedom. It was this distinctly American spirit of faith, resilience, adventure, courage, determination, and self-reliance that breathed life into our republic, and that has steadfastly sustained our nation, our people, our freedom, and our way of life ever since.
From this hard-won victory, a handful of colonies on the Atlantic coast grew into the most powerful and prosperous republic in the history of humankind. Americans, answering the call of destiny, pushed westward across the untamed continent, transforming the open prairie into golden farmland and building magnificent cities out of the wilderness, cities that towered over a vast and growing population. When civil war threatened to tear the nation apart, Americans fought and bled to preserve the Union, to liberate millions from the chains of slavery, and to reunite the country. As a result of this struggle, our ancestors forged a new nation in the fires of industry, building massive factories that poured molten steel, drilling deep for the oil that fueled their prosperity, and harnessing the power of electricity to light their cities and build skyscrapers ever higher into the heavens. In the darkest hours of the last century, it was the United States of America that emerged victorious from two world wars, defeating the forces of evil at every turn, and liberating millions of people around the world from the most brutal tyrannies that humankind has ever faced.
The ingenuity of America has repeatedly pushed the boundaries of what is possible. Americans have propelled humanity into the heavens and walked on the surface of the Moon, planting our beautiful flag in the ancient dust, where no other nation had ever stood, while our gaze turned towards the galaxies beyond. Inventions born from American minds – the telephone, the personal computer, the internet – have connected the world as never before, opening a new era of communication and commerce that has brought unlimited knowledge within reach of humanity and promised prosperity to every corner of the Earth. In every field of science, American genius has cured what was once considered incurable, unveiled the mysteries of life itself, and advanced the frontiers of human knowledge further than any nation before.
These monumental triumphs are a testament to the men who, by their will, created our great republic, and the great American adventure that began on July 4, 1776, has only just begun. In our time, the American journey continues in every corner of our nation, from the wheat fields of the Great Plains and the granite peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the sun-drenched shores of the Pacific and the bustling cities of the Atlantic coast, and the heart of the American people beats strong and proud as always. This strength stems from the unity of our people and the timeless values passed down through generations, among which the most important are unwavering faith in God, fervent love for family and freedom, tireless dedication to hard work, and the courage to sacrifice everything for a cause greater than ourselves. These are the virtues that have sustained us for over two and a half centuries, and they will arm us for the many victories yet to come.
In this new era of American greatness, we will continue to reclaim our sovereignty, restore our territorial integrity, defend the God-given freedom proclaimed at our founding, and protect the proud heritage, history, and culture that have made our nation a beacon for all time. We will continue our adventures into space, returning Americans to the lunar surface forever, and pushing forward to plant the stars and stripes among the red dunes of Mars. We will conquer new frontiers of artificial intelligence and quantum discovery, unleash the limitless energy beneath our soil, and expand the wealth and abundance of the American people. We will defend our citizens and our way of life, and we will respond to any enemy with overwhelming force and unwavering justice. We will cherish the sacred right to life and protect the innocent from the first moment of existence. We will restore law and order in our streets and usher in a new era of prosperity, health, opportunity, and happiness for every American family. My administration will not rest until all of these sacred promises are fulfilled. Guided by the wisdom of our founders and the unwavering faith of our people, we will lead our nation into a new American golden age. For a free and faithful people, no summit is too high, no horizon too distant to conquer, and no dream too bold to achieve.
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NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 4, 2026, as the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. I call upon all Americans to celebrate and honor this day with pride and with all fitting ceremonies, commemorating the glorious heritage, history, and achievements of our beloved republic.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-six, and of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the independence of the United States of America.
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