On July 4, 1776 — nearly 250 years ago — the Founding Fathers gathered to sign a document proclaiming the natural right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” — the Declaration of Independence.
Now, Americans are being invited to sign a digital declaration that celebrates and expands on those same founding principles.
Sign On 250 is a national, nonpartisan civic initiative inviting people to co-sign a modern-day Declaration of Independence in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. The effort is a collaboration between the National League of Cities, America’s Newspapers, the James Madison Institute and the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida. The project is sponsored by Walmart.
“We’re excited about it because it’s an upbeat, positive project and it calls attention to the amazing values upon which our country was founded,” said Ron Sachs, national coordinator of Sign On 250 and founder and retired CEO of Sachs Media, in an interview with the USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida.
“We want Americans all over the country and the world to Sign On. Its a way to rededicate ourselves,” he said.
How you can become a signer of the Declaration of Independence
Signon250.org launches June 30, days before the Independence Day weekend. Here’s how it works.
Featuring the patriotic color scheme of red, white and blue, the national website has a map of the USA and each state is highlighted with different colors based on how many signatures each state has collected with dark navy blue for the states with over 10,000 signatures, and a pale white hue for states with fewer than 100.
The page also notes how many signatures have been collected, including the persons name and city. A red button in the center of the screen instructs visitors to “sign the declaration.”
The signer will then enter the state and city they live in, their first and last name and their age.
After the signature is submitted and confirmed a new screen shows a thank you note and a bright burst of sparklers runs across the screen. A social graphic is offered for the signer to share to social media.
How the digital Declaration of Independence recommits signers to the founding principles
The initiative also comes with a theme song of the same name belted by country music artist Billy Dean from Quincy, Florida.
The renewed declaration says: “We acknowledge that the work of 1776 was not finished in 1776. The promise of the Declaration has been extended, at great cost, by generations of work — and we accept the unfinished labor of extending it still further, in our own time, by our own hands.
“We pledge to one another, across our differences of place and party and circumstance, the ordinary virtues of self-government: to listen before we speak, to vote, to serve on juries and school boards, to know our neighbors, to teach our children the story of this republic — its triumphs and its struggles alike, and to leave the country we share more whole than we found it.”
In advance of the online launch, Tallahassee-based media firm Sachs Media conducted a survey of 1,500 adults on their patriotic opinions. Key findings include, that most “broadly embrace the Declaration’s core ideas,” “are interested in adding their own signatures,” and would encourage others to do the same.
While the celebration may peak with July Fourth celebrations around the nation, the website will be live for people to sign the new declaration through the whole year until July 4, 2027.
Visit signon250.org to add your signature.
“History has served us with a special opportunity – 250 years in the making – to endorse, embrace, and enthusiastically add our own names and signatures to the Declaration of Independence,” the League of Cities President Kevin Kramer said in a statement. “This inspiring initiative can bring us all together, despite any differences, in a prolonged and positive period of united patriotism about our nation’s shared values.”
Alaijah Cross covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at abrown@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Sign on 250: Put your John Hancock on a digital Declaration of Independence
Reporting by Alaijah Cross, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alaijah Cross, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
