While growing up in the East, I crossed the Delaware River many times to visit family and a number of hallmarks of our nation’s independence:
- Carpenters’ Hall, where the First Continental Congress met;
- Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were signed and the Liberty Bell was housed;
- The Liberty Bell, rung after independence was declared and now situated in its own building; (As a child, I used to stick my finger in the crack each time I visited Independence Hall.)
- Jockey Hollow, in my home state of New Jersey, where General Washington and the Continental Army hunkered down; and
- Valley Forge, where General Washington’s army spent a bitter-cold winter.
Each visit gave me insight into our founding fathers and the sacrifices they made to form our great nation, the United States of America.
On July Fourth I salute them for their hard work and sacrifices to create a country that celebrates its 240th birthday this year.