Fourth of July (Independence Day)

Hello there. My name is Thomas Jefferson. A long, long time ago, I lived in a new land called America. It was a hot summer, and I was in a busy city called Philadelphia with my friends. We had a very big, very exciting idea. We wanted America to be its own special country, free to make its own rules, just like when you get to decide what game to play. I felt very excited to help my friends with this important job. It was a big task, but working together made it feel possible. We all agreed that people should be able to choose their own leaders and live happily.

My friends asked me to write down our big idea. So, I took out my quill pen and a big sheet of paper. I sat at my desk and thought very hard. I wrote and wrote, choosing each word very carefully because I wanted everyone to understand. I wrote that everyone should be happy and free. This very important paper was called the Declaration of Independence. It was like a letter to the whole world. On a very special day, July 4th, 1776, my friends and I all agreed on the words I wrote and we shared it with everyone.

When people heard the news, bells rang all over the city. Everyone was so happy and cheered loudly. That day was America’s very first birthday. And that’s why every year on the Fourth of July, you see bright fireworks that sparkle in the sky and have picnics with your family. You are celebrating that special birthday and the big idea of freedom we all shared so long ago. My work helped give our country a new beginning, and I am very proud of that.