Free Republic

Before the war was over, five would be captured, 12 would lose their homes, and 17 would lose their fortunes. None renounced the cause of their own free will. Congress voting on the Declaration of Independence. Library of Congress/Public Domain =============================================================== Today the United States celebrates the 250th—or semiquincentennial—anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. While July 4 marks the day Thomas Jefferson’s revised draft of the Declaration of Independence was adopted, it would take months for the document to be signed by all 56 men who would eventually affix their names to it. Several key figures in...

When Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865 the Civil War was nearly over. After recalling the circumstances of his first inaugural address, given precisely four years earlier and just before the nation fell into civil war, he told the crowd with characteristic understatement that "the progress of our arms...is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all." After the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation two years previous and the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery by the House of Representatives just two...

A well-preserved Byzantine-era residential city in the western desert is one of two major archaeological finds announced by Egypt .. The recent discoveries at the Dakhla Oasis and at the Marina el-Alamein archaeological site, near Alexandria, are the latest findings which the Egyptian government hopes will boost the country’s vital tourism sector, partially driven by antiquities sightseeing. ... The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said that the first discovery reveals details of daily life, urban development and economic activities in the Dakhla Oasis in the fourth century, when Egypt was part of the Byzantine empire. ... A basilica church dating back...

This rare Bronze Age shield was deposited in a bog over 3,000 years ago.It was discovered in Auchmaleddie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1897.Due to its fragile state, it has been kept flat in storage for decades. Until now.Our Artefact Conservator Bethan Bryan and Curator Dr Matthew Knight assess the shield ahead of conservation work. This process involves lifting the shield to look at its underside, which has not been viewed in over 3,000 years. Find out what clues it has about its use and how it was made.The shield has been conserved for display in the free exhibition 'Scotlands First Warriors'...

The United States enters its 250th year in fantastic shape. Elsewhere, not so much. We are the oldest continuous democracy in the modern world. In large part, this is because our founders were the products of the Enlightenment who fashioned a written Constitution, which provides both freedom to citizens and checks and balances to restrain those in power. Massive celebrations are called for, with big ships, flyovers, and the largest ever fireworks display in the cleaned-up National Mall. It’s extremely hot, but that doesn’t seem to have dampened enthusiasm, and crowds have been large at scheduled events. Just as they...

A 4th of July weekend celebration turned into a fiery nightmare when fireworks went screaming into the stands at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles — sending panicked fans scrambling for cover. Just minutes after Angel City FC defeated the Orlando Pride 2-0, the club’s Independence Day weekend pyrotechnics display went haywire. Instead of launching into the sky, multiple mortars allegedly fired sideways across the field and toward packed seating sections. “The end is actually the worst. I saw several flames go into the crowd. It was terrifying!” one shaken Reddit user wrote. Another fan said the experience was still haunting...

Nearly a dozen members of the wealthy Soros family collectively poured more than $1.6 million to Congressional candidates’ midterm campaigns so far, The Post has learned. The donations suggest the clan’s grip on American politics extends even beyond patriarch George Soros and his son Alex, who took control of his father’s $25 billion empire ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Topping the list of the other members of the clan was George’s son from his first marriage, Jonathan Soros and his wife Jennifer Allan Soros, who together donated $380,000 to House and Senate races all over the country. Jonathan, 55,...

Hundreds of masked white supremacists descended on the nation’s capital, proudly waving Confederate flags during the 250th Independence Day celebration. The demonstrators were seen wearing hats emblazoned with the logo for the Patriot Front — a white nationalist group founded by Thomas Rousseau after the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, according to George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. Counterprotester Heather Heyer was infamously killed at that rally when a madman plowed into her and several others. Members of the group were snapped riding the DC Metro Saturday. In one shot, a black woman sitting on the train...

The July 4th 1776 Declaration of Independence wasn't the first important Declaration that Jefferson was involved in. A year earlier, July 6th 1775, the Second Continental Congress had him write what amounts to a Declaration of War, which somehow never gets any attention.

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. -- Okaloosa County is reapplying for permits required to sink the SS United States.The county said they are reapplying for the permitting area where the SS United States will be deployed. This results in the original permit being modified.The historic ocean liner is set to become the world's largest artificial reef. The only thing standing in the way now is final approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers."There's people that want to come from all over Europe, Australia, Asia all different locations wanting to hit it," says Mason Ousley, the manager at Dive Pros.>>>The ocean liner...

The real story of the Declaration of Independence - the secret conversation between Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOOQfGWt8Hc

Video at link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pZ1brENIjw

Young Washington is a 2026 American epic historical war drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Jon Erwin. It is based on the early life of the Founding Father and first president of the United States, George Washington and focuses on his experiences and command in the French and Indian War between 1753 and 1755. William Franklyn-Miller stars as the titular character, alongside Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis and Ben Kingsley.The film premiered at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2026, and was released in the United States by Angel Studios on July 3, 2026. The film received mixed...

Visegrád 24 @visegrad24 Palestine Action US founder Calla Walsh attends Ayatollah Khamenei’s funeral and calls him the “greatest anti-Imperialist leader” in her lifetime. This is the brainwashing going on in the far-left, making them to unite with Islamists and terrorists.

Abigail was born to William Smith, a minister, and his wife, Elizabeth, in 1744 in Massachusetts. Despite having no access to formal education, she became an avid reader with access to many books through her father and grandfather. Philosophy, government, law, and theology were all subjects she enjoyed and would serve as the foundation for her values and passions. Concerning women’s education, she is known for writing, “If we mean to have Hero Statesmen and Philosophers, we should have learned women.” She strongly opposed slavery and there are several letters to her husband on the subject. She wrote, “I wish...

Too good to be true? On July 4, 1826, the very day on which America celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Independence, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died. While this fact - dramatic enough - is beyond dispute, the ninety-year-old Adams's last words as they have come down to us,"Jefferson survives," seem a bit too perfectly constructed. Yet no historian ever questioned them. ... Further investigation turned up the one and only person known to have been present when Adams last spoke: Louisa Smith, the never-married, fifty-three-year-old niece and adopted daughter of Abigail Adams. Smith at some point told the...

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, EVERYONE!!!!!!

I didn't see this posted. 30 minute speech. Please to enjoy.

Every now and then, though, a 250th-inspired event comes along that feels genuinely thoughtful and delightfully specific. At The Rittenhouse Hotel, that idea takes shape in LiberTea, a new afternoon tea service. The concept is rooted in a lesser-known Revolutionary War tradition: When colonists boycotted British-imported tea from the East India Company, they instead turned to local herbs, spices, and botanicals to create their own blends of “Liberty Teas.” “The Boycott,” a spearmint-based tisane layered with lemon balm, orange, rose hip, and rose petals. “Her Flag” pays homage to Hyperion Tea, which was a popular Liberty Tea. The blend —...

Democrats are competitive in six key Senate battlegrounds, but Republicans still hold the edge in the fight for the upper chamber, according to new polling from The New York Times and Siena. The New York Times/Siena Polls found Democrats leading the Senate races in North Carolina, where Democrat Roy Cooper is battling Republican Michael Whatley to replace retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and in Maine, where progressive Graham Platner hopes to oust Sen. Susan Collins (R). Cooper boasts the biggest lead among the six battlegrounds surveyed, with 50 percent to Whatley’s 43 percent. Platner, at 49 percent, was up 2...