Issue 72

Prince William County

One of the many great things about Prince William County is its close proximity to the capital of the United States. Yet, it could be easy to take that access for granted. How many people across our vast country have never had the opportunity to experience its treasure trove of our nation's history in-person? To many, the Declaration of Independence in the National Archives and John Trumbull's iconic painting by the same name in the Capitol Rotunda, are simply pages in a history book. It's just miles away for us, but for most of the country it's time zones away.

So as we gather with family, friends, and neighbors over the Fourth of July weekend, enjoying cookouts and fireworks, let's all remember to not take things for granted. From the bravery and sacrifice of those who started the fight for our independence 245 years ago, to being able to celebrate differently than we could a year ago, we have much to be grateful for this holiday.

I hope you all have a safe and festive weekend.

The 4th of July is called Independence Day. The one line of text along the bottom edge on the back of the signed Declaration reads, "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776" (National Archives). So many may think all 56 signatures on the Declaration, or at least most of them, were done on July 4th.

However, according to the National Archives and National Geographic, today the majority of U.S. historians believe it unlikely that the Declaration was signed on July 4. Their position is that the majority of the delegates to Congress didn’t sign the document until August 2, nearly a month after its ratification. It would be remiss to not mention there are a few historians who continue to assert it was signed July 4. They argue that the records of Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin, which state it was signed by the delegates on July 4, couldn’t have all been mistaken.

If you thought John Trumbull's iconic painting above depicted the singing, you would probably be in good company, but you would be mistaken. Architect of the Capitol explains it represents the moment on June 28, 1776, when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was presented to the Second Continental Congress.

All 56 signers of the Declaration are not depicted. If you took the time to count, you would find there are 47 people in the painting. Of those, 42 were signers and the five other patriots. According to the National Gallery of Art, Trumbull began a smaller version of the painting in July 1786 while visiting Thomas Jefferson in Paris. At that time, 12 signers of the Declaration had already died. Over three decades later, in 1818, when he completed the 12 foot by 18 foot version, only five signers were still living.

One last piece of trivia connected to the painting. After a ten year sabbatical, the $2 bill was reissued in 1976, the year of our bicentennial. While Thomas Jefferson remained on its front, the back was changed to Trumbull's painting (previously it was Monticello). However, due to space constraints six men from the sides of the painting were omitted on the bill.

Virginia is full of connections to the American Revolution. Thomas Jefferson's ties to the Declaration of Independence and George Washington's command of the Continental Army are etched into our country's beginnings. Seven of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Virginians. The Battle of Yorktown, which led directly to the peace negotiations ending the war, was in Virginia.