Introduction

On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted these words, and a new nation was born. This new nation promised to secure the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for each and every one of its citizens. "In order to form a more perfect Union...and secure the blessings of liberty," for itself and its posterity, the United States of America established a government of democracy to fulfill that promise. Today, America continues to uphold its ideals and is a symbol of freedom and democracy for the entire world.

Join us this Fourth of July in celebrating America's 233rd birthday in the Nation's Capital. Nowhere else is this celebration as significant as in the place where America's ideals are most visibly expressed within some of our nation's treasured memorials and where our country's representative institutions fulfill America's promise. We celebrate 233 years of independence and the continuing promise of freedom.