Webster Celebrates 250 Years of American Independence

Washington, D.C. - As the United States celebrates the 250^th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Florida Congressman Daniel Webster, R-Clermont, released the following statement commemorating America's semiquincentennial.

"250 years ago today, a group of patriots pledged their lives, fortunes, and their honor to establish a new nation founded on a revolutionary idea: that our rights do not come from the government, but from God, and that every person is endowed with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

From that bold declaration in 1776 grew the greatest experiment in self-government the world has ever known. For two and a half centuries, the United States has stood as a beacon of freedom and opportunity - a nation that has inspired countless people with the promise that free men and women can govern themselves.

The American story is also one of boundless ingenuity and determination. The United States is a nation of pioneers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and risk-takers. From securing our God-given rights in the Constitution to connecting our nation through railroads and highways, harnessing the power of flight, putting man on the moon, preserving our national treasures with the National Parks system, and pioneering the birth of the internet and leading the world in technological innovation, Americans have continued to push the boundaries of what is possible. Time and again, Americans have proven that there is no challenge too great and no horizon beyond our reach when freedom and opportunity are allowed to flourish.

Yet none of these blessings and achievements would have endured were it not for the generations of Americans who answered the call to serve. From the patriots who secured our independence to the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Airmen, and Guardians who defend our nation today, millions have worn the uniform of the United States to preserve the liberties we too often take for granted. Our freedom is not merely inherited but secured and protected by those willing to sacrifice for it. We owe all our nation's veterans a debt we can never repay.

As we celebrate America's 250^th birthday, let us recommit ourselves to the ideals that built this nation: faith, liberty, personal responsibility, and service to one another. Let us honor those who came before us by preserving the blessings of freedom and passing on to our children and grandchildren a country that is stronger, freer, and more faithful to the principles that first stirred in Philadelphia 250 years ago.

The story of the United States of America is still being written. May we continue to be good stewards of this great nation and continue to celebrate, defend, and preserve it for generations of Americans to come.

Happy 250^th Birthday America.

May God bless our troops, and may God continue to bless the United States of America."

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