HR 589

                                                 PRINTER'S NO.   3790
             THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
      HOUSE RESOLUTION
         No. 589
                                           Session of
                                             2026
INTRODUCED BY McCLINTON, BRADFORD AND TOPPER, JULY 22, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TOURISM, RECREATION AND ECONOMIC
   DEVELOPMENT, JULY 22, 2026
                           A RESOLUTION
1 Celebrating the momentous and historic occasion of the United
2    States Semiquincentennial.
3    WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania joins the rest of
4 the nation in celebrating the momentous 250th anniversary of the
5 signing of the Declaration of Independence; and
6    WHEREAS, Following the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765, a
7 series of unpopular British laws met with stiff opposition in
8 the colonies, fueling a bitter struggle over whether Parliament
9 had the right to tax colonists without the consent of the
10 representative colonial governments; and
11    WHEREAS, This struggle erupted into violence in 1770 when
12 British troops killed five colonists and injured six others in
13 the Boston Massacre; and
14    WHEREAS, Three years later, outrage over the Tea Act of 1773
15 prompted colonists to board an East India Company ship in Boston
16 Harbor and dump its cargo into the sea in the now-infamous
17 Boston Tea Party; and
18    WHEREAS, In response, Britain cracked down further with the
1 Coercive Acts, going so far as to revoke the colonial charter of
2 Massachusetts and close the port of Boston; and
3    WHEREAS, Resistance to the Intolerable Acts, as they became
4 known, led to the formation of the First Continental Congress in
5 Philadelphia in 1774, which denounced "taxation without
6 representation," but stopped short of demanding independence
7 from Britain; and
8    WHEREAS, When the first skirmishes of the Revolutionary War
9 broke out in Massachusetts in April 1775, few people in the
10 American colonies wanted to separate from Great Britain
11 entirely, but as the war continued, and Britain called out
12 massive armed forces to enforce its will, more and more
13 colonists came to accept that asserting independence was the
14 only way forward; and
15    WHEREAS, On June 7, 1776, Congress, meeting in Philadelphia,
16 received a resolution from Richard Henry Lee urging Congress to
17 declare independence from Britain; and
18    WHEREAS, Congress appointed Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,
19 Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston, Jr.,
20 to the Committee of Five on June 11, 1776, to draft a
21 declaration of independence for the colonies; and
22    WHEREAS, From June 12 through 27, 1776, Thomas Jefferson
23 drafted the original rough draft of the Declaration of
24 Independence, which was read in Congress on June 28, 1776; and
25    WHEREAS, From July 1 through 4, 1776, Congress debated and
26 revised the Declaration of Independence, and finally signed the
27 document on the morning of July 4, 1776, to formally sever
28 political ties between the 13 American colonies and Great
29 Britain, unite the colonies and announce their sovereignty and
30 gain support from foreign nations, particularly France; and
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1    WHEREAS, The delegates from Pennsylvania who signed the
2 Declaration of Independence were George Clymer, Benjamin
3 Franklin, Robert Morris, John Morton, George Ross, Benjamin
4 Rush, James Smith, George Taylor and James Wilson; and
5    WHEREAS, Mr. Morton broke the tie in the Pennsylvania
6 delegation, ensuring that Pennsylvania voted for the Declaration
7 of Independence; and
8    WHEREAS, The Declaration of Independence was not intended to
9 be a legal framework for government, which was later done by the
10 Constitution of the United States, but rather a declaration of
11 intent to break away and a justification for doing so; and
12    WHEREAS, After passage of the Declaration of Independence,
13 copies were distributed to neighboring states, and on July 6,
14 the Pennsylvania Evening Post printed the first newspaper
15 rendition of the declaration; and
16    WHEREAS, The first public reading of the Declaration of
17 Independence occurred in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, at noon,
18 when Colonel John Nixon read the document to a large crowd of
19 people in the State House Yard, which is now Independence
20 Square; and
21    WHEREAS, Two hundred fifty years later, this country unites
22 to celebrate the creation of our nation's founding document and
23 the intrepid men who rose up against the great power of Britain
24 to assert their independence; and
25    WHEREAS, From fireworks and concerts to unforgettable
26 gatherings across the country, the United States
27 Semiquincentennial Commission and America250 sparked five days
28 of shared moments from July 1 through 5; and
29    WHEREAS, On July 2, 2026, the official America250 Time
30 Capsule was dedicated at Independence Hall in Philadelphia; and
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1    WHEREAS, The capsule contains items that help tell the story
2 of America at 250 and will be opened during America's 500th
3 birthday year in 2276; and
4    WHEREAS, On July 3 and 4, residents were encouraged to
5 participate in the largest synchronized Fourth of July
6 celebration in United States history, America's Block Party; and
7    WHEREAS, Communities across the country gathered for live
8 music, shared moments and local celebrations that reflect the
9 spirit of Independence Day; and
10    WHEREAS, Residents are also encouraged to make 2026 a record
11 setting year of volunteer service by giving back, whether
12 performing service projects or providing donations; and
13    WHEREAS, On July 5, 2026, the country entered the "After the
14 Fireworks" phase of the national celebration, continuing through
15 the end of 2026; and
16    WHEREAS, Residents are encouraged to reflect on what the
17 journey to the 250th anniversary has meant to you through
18 prayer, continued celebrations and convenings or other
19 traditions such as sharing a meal; and
20    WHEREAS, Rosie Rios, Chair of the United States
21 Semiquincentennial Commission, said, "America's 250th
22 anniversary is about more than reflecting on our past, it's
23 about honoring the contributions of individuals who built this
24 country, the innovations that put this country on the map and a
25 man on the moon, and imagining what the next 250 years might
26 look like for our children and the generations to come";
27 therefore be it
28    RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
29 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania celebrate the momentous and
30 historic occasion of the United States Semiquincentennial; and
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1 be it further
2    RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
3 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania strongly encourage all residents to
4 celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event and participate in local
5 activities and volunteer efforts; and be it further
6    RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
7 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hope that all residents pause and
8 reflect on the meanings of freedom, democracy and citizenship
9 during this historically significant time; and be it further
10    RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
11 Patrick Burns, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission for the
12 United States Semiquincentennial (America250PA).
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