On July 9, 1776, General George Washington gathered his troops on the New York City Common to hear the Declaration of Independence read aloud for the first time.
The battle-hardened
soldiers listened closely. The Declaration spoke of new ideas—freedom,
equality, and the right to self-government. These were powerful concepts that
struck a chord with the men who had taken up arms against British rule.
The British were preparing
to launch a massive attack on New York. Washington knew his troops were about
to face a tough battle and used the document to motivate his men. Hearing the
Declaration gave them something more than just orders to follow. It gave them a
cause to believe in and risk their lives for.
The words of the
Declaration weren’t just a call to arms; they were a statement of purpose. The
soldiers were fighting to create a new nation built on principles of liberty
and justice, not just to break away from England and the King.
The reading of the
Declaration helped unify Washington’s troops, giving them a renewed sense of
purpose and a clear understanding of what they were fighting for. From that
point on, their struggle wasn’t just about independence—it was about building a
nation grounded in the ideals that would shape the future of the United States.
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