249 Years Of Independence: Voice Of The Township
On Friday, July 4th, the United States will be celebrating its 249th Independence Day—next year, in fact, will be the USA’s semi quincentennial or 250th birthday bash. That may seem like a ripe old age for a country, but the fact is that it’s only a small fraction of the time this land has been occupied. Indigenous peoples have populated it for over 12,000 years. Independence Day in the USA commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, the founding document that was drawn up by, among others, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams and was signed with unanimous approval by the 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress. The purpose of the declaration was to announce and explain why the 13 original colonies were separating from Great Britain.
“The Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing 27 colonial grievances against British King George III and by asserting certain natural and legal rights, including a right of revolution,” which the colonists then went on to fight. These rights have been fought for in this country ever since. In 1863, four score and 7 years after its signing, President Abraham Lincoln made the Declaration of Independence the centerpiece of his famous Gettysburg Address, which he delivered in the midst of a civil war being fought, in part, to procure equal rights for everyone in the country. The Declaration is now a well-known statement on human rights, especially its second sentence: “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.”
Independence has been a core value in the United States since its founding, and it is celebrated heartily here every Fourth of July with fireworks, picnics and concerts, parades and the flying of the red, white and blue, all in praise of freedom.
The dictionary definition of the word “independent” describes it as, “freedom from the influence, guidance or control of another or others: self-reliance; self-governing.” Further down the entry, “independent” is defined as “having enough wealth and resources to be able to rely on oneself.” While the Declaration holds independence as a value for everyone, as it states that we are all ‘created equal,’ it can sometimes seem that not everyone gets the same share of independence.
In our work here at the township we try to help people find their own to share in the American promise of independence. Whether by assisting during a financial emergency, helping someone find a job, providing scholarships for a child’s education, or food and clothing for those in need; the township government in Indiana helps to level the playing field so that everyone can celebrate on the Fourth of July.
And speaking of celebrations, the Wayne Township Trustee Office threw its own summer party, the 2025 Family Fun Day on Saturday June 28th. Thirty-eight children received Academic Encouragement Awards, and community activist Joe Ayers received the township’s third annual Person of the Year Award.
The next celebration: The city’s annual 4th of July fireworks will be launched from the top of the Indiana Michigan Power Center in downtown Fort Wayne starting at 10 PM. Come down and celebrate your independence!
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