Make a statement with help from a proud American brand

 

Feeling patriotic? This Fourth of July, why not express your love of country in classic Southern style. Packed with traditional prep-school charm, Smathers & Branson’s handcrafted needlepoint polos and accessories can help you pay homage to Old Glory in a small, but eye-catching way. We guarantee your efforts won’t go unnoticed. And once you’ve got everyone’s attention, you can WOW them with your uncanny grasp of Independence Day trivia. How hard can it be to drop a few choice Revolutionary War tidbits while sweating over the BBQ or sneak in a few fun facts between bites of apple pie? Not hard – if you know your history. For instance, did you know…

 

*The Fourth of July or Independence Day is a U.S. federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the

Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress in 1776.

*The purpose of the Declaration was to explain to foreign nations why the colonies felt compelled to break

away from Great Britain.

*The Continental Congress actually passed the resolution for independence on July 2, 1776, but the final draft

of the Declaration of Independence was not approved and printed until July 4.

*The Declaration was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson whose famous phrase “… Life, Liberty, and the

Pursuit of Happiness” was actually inspired by the work of John Locke, an English philosopher who died in

1704.

*The second sentence of the Declaration is one of the most recognized and consequential phrases in the English

language: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

*The Continental Congress made a total of 86 changes to the Declaration before adopting it, the most

significant being the removal of negative references to the slave trade.

*The 56 men who signed the Declaration ranged in age from 26 to 70-years-old.

*About half were lawyers. Others were planters, merchants, and shippers. A third served as militia officers.

*Two hundred copies of the signed Declaration were printed by John Dunlap in the summer of 1776. Of those,

only 26 remain. In 2000, one of those copies sold for $8 million.

*The copy of the Declaration hanging in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. was most likely hand-

copied by Timothy Matlack, assistant to the Secretary of Congress in 1776.

*John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died just hours apart on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the

Continental Congress approved the final draft of the Declaration of Independence.

*July 4th became a national holiday in 1870 and a paid federal holiday in 1941.

*Prior to the advent of red and blue paper, early 19th century patriots celebrated by decorating themselves and

their homes with fresh greenery.

*Today, U.S. residents spend almost $700 million annually on home firework displays.

 

Embellishing your Independence Day conversations with a few of these historical gems from ConstitutionFacts.com will make you the hit of the party. And while you’re at it, be sure to strike a pose that shows off the U.S. flag stitched on your polo, belt, or cufflink set. It’s easy. Puff out your chest, hook your thumbs over your belt and wave your hands around enthusiastically. If your July Fourth facts don’t steal the show, your patriotic accessories certainly will.

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