July 4th, US Independence Day Over 200 years ago, these words were read at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, USA: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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." These brave words are part of the Declaration of Independence, affirming the independence of the American colonists from England. Today, in the United States, we pay tribute to these ideals on the 4th of July. We celebrate this national holiday with parades, speeches, bonfires, picnics, concerts, and the display of the American Flag, just as the early American colonists did over 200 years ago! In fact, as far as we know, the only custom we don't observe today is the lighting of candles in house windows, which some colonists did to show support of the new government. For Kids The Democracy Project  Create Your Own Fireworks For Teachers Independence Day - Lesson on symbols A Patriotic Play (script online; Dallas Elem 2nd graders) US Patriotic Symbols Lesson Plans Lesson Plans for Colonial America & the Revolutionary War (Donn) Free 4th of July clip art Independence Day (powerpoint) July 4th (powerpoint)   Our Holiday Gift to You: Historic Indiana Farm Recipes  Free Clip Art  All Rights Reserved    Clip Art Credit: Phillip Martin Have a great year!