H.R. No. 2827

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Each year, Texans join in celebrating the Fourth of July in honor of the day America's founders adopted one of the landmark documents of modern history, the Declaration of Independence; and

WHEREAS, When Richard Henry Lee, a delegate to the Second Continental Congress from Virginia, introduced a resolution on June 7, 1776, declaring that the 13 colonies "are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States," blood had already been shed between American militiamen and British soldiers; a year earlier, in April 1775, the British general Thomas Gage had received orders to use force to suppress rebellion among the colonists and had sent troops to seize a weapons depot in Concord, Massachusetts; learning of the British plans, Paul Revere had ridden out from Boston to spread the word of the redcoats' advance, and militiamen and British troops had clashed, first at Lexington and then at Concord, where the Americans prevailed in a fierce skirmish at North Bridge; on their march back to Boston, the British had been fired upon relentlessly by the colonials, and General Gage had to send 1,500 additional men to prevent their being overwhelmed; and

WHEREAS, Two months later, in June 1775, the first major action between American and British troops took place when more than 2,000 British soldiers charged militiamen dug in on high ground overlooking Boston; the colonists withstood two assaults before running out of ammunition and inflicted heavy casualties in what became known as the Battle of Bunker Hill; and

WHEREAS, With Britain intent on bringing the colonists to heel, sentiment in favor of independence continued to grow; it received additional impetus with the publication in January 1776 of Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense, which made an impassioned argument for casting off the fetters of a corrupt monarchy; the tract quickly sold some 150,000 copies; and

WHEREAS, By July, many members of the Continental Congress believed that the bond with Great Britain should be dissolved; a vote on Lee's resolution to that effect was postponed, however, and a committee was appointed to draft a justification for such a fateful step; the committee, in turn, chose Thomas Jefferson, a 33-year-old delegate from Virginia, to compose the document; finally, on July 2, representatives approved Lee's resolution and two days later, on July 4, they adopted the Declaration of Independence; and

WHEREAS, The American Revolution would continue for another five long years and would demand much of the patriots; the tenacity of the troops who camped with General George Washington at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778, when disease ravaged their ranks and food remained scarce for months, has come to symbolize their unyielding resolve; finally, in October 1781, American troops and their French allies succeeded in forcing the surrender of the besieged British army at Yorktown and the war was effectively won; and

WHEREAS, The official tally of American military personnel killed in the War for Independence stands at nearly 4,500, with more than 6,000 wounded; altogether, it is believed that one percent of the American population died during the war, a figure that would translate today to a loss of more than 3 million individuals; and

WHEREAS, The revolutionary generation encompassed military and political leaders of remarkable skill, as well as countless common folk whose devotion to the cause was crucial to its success; perhaps no one represents the ordinary patriot more vividly in the popular mind than Betsy Ross, the Philadelphia seamstress who came to be credited with creating the first flag to bear the stars and stripes, following a design that she received from George Washington in 1776; and

WHEREAS, That venerable flag, now bearing 50 bright stars, will grace innumerable Fourth of July celebrations as Americans celebrate the 238th anniversary of this country's founding; on that day, along with their fellow citizens across the nation, Texans will gather to give thanks for the blessing of self-government and to affirm anew the fundamental principles of liberty, equality, and self-determination, principles expressed so eloquently in a document that continues to inspire people around the world; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas Legislature hereby commemorate the Fourth of July, 2014.

Price

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 2827 was adopted by the House on May 26, 2013, by a non-record vote.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House