Happy 250th Birthday, America!
The United States of America is turning 250 years old on July 4th! That is a big birthday for the country! The country started when the original 13 colonies lived under the rules and laws of Great Britain but on the land that is now the United States.
The colonists felt that the king treated them unfairly and did not give them a voice in making the laws. So, they decided they wanted to be free and make their own choices and become their own country. This is how the Revolutionary War started. The colonists won the war and became a new, independent country known as the United States of America.
After the war, in 1776, the leaders of the colonies wrote the Declaration of Independence. This important document said that the colonies were no longer part of Great Britain. One of the most important ideas in the Declaration is that all people are created equal. It also says that everyone has basic rights that cannot be taken away, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The document also explains that governments get their power from the people. If a government does not protect people’s rights, the people have the right to change it or create a new one.
Over the past 250 years, the United States has grown and changed in many ways. It has expanded across the continent, welcomed people from around the world, and worked to make life fairer for its citizens.
Today, Americans celebrate their history and look forward to the future. Turning 250 is a great time to remember how the country started and to think about how it can keep improving and moving forward!
Check out your city’s website for ways to celebrate this huge milestone for the USA!
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN
Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
- 8 oz softened cream cheese
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 20-30 large strawberries
Directions
- Prep strawberries by washing and drying completely. Cut out the stem and leave a hole in the top of the strawberry. Cut the bottom of the strawberry off flat so that they can stand on their own.
- In a mixer, add your cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Blend until completely combined.
- Pipe this mixture into the strawberry tops. Top with graham cracker crumbs, and a blueberry to add the red, white, and blue! Serve and eat immediately.
Literature Corner
The Founding Fathers! Those Horse-Ridin’, Fiddle-Playin’, Book-Readin’, Gun-Totin’ Gentlemen Who Started America
By Johan Winter
Learn all kinds of fun facts about the men we call the Founding Fathers. These men really did not agree on much. They disagreed and fought a lot and made mistakes but worked together to invent an entirely new nation! For ages 5-8, 48 pages.
For Which We Stand
By Jeff Foster
If you have ever wanted a book that explains our government in a way that you can understand, give this a read. It answers all your questions like: Why was the Declaration of Independence written? What exactly is the Electoral College? What is the Constitution?
This book, written by a teacher, gives the complete backstory on how our government works and how people have worked with and protested our government to improve the lives of all American citizens. For ages 8-12.
Lardie’s Laughs
Q. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
A. At the bottom!
Q. What do you get if you cross a stegosaurus with a firecracker?
A. Dino-mite!
Gab in Gaelic
There is no strength without unity = Ni ceart go cur le cheile (pron: knee keart guh kurr leh kay-leh)
