H.R. No. 2827

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Each year, Texans join in celebrating the Fourth of
	July in honor of the day America's founders adopted one of the
	landmark documents of modern history, the Declaration of
	Independence; and
	WHEREAS, When Richard Henry Lee, a delegate to the Second
	Continental Congress from Virginia, introduced a resolution on June
	7, 1776, declaring that the 13 colonies "are, and of right ought to
	be, free and independent States," blood had already been shed
	between American militiamen and British soldiers; a year earlier,
	in April 1775, the British general Thomas Gage had received orders
	to use force to suppress rebellion among the colonists and had sent
	troops to seize a weapons depot in Concord, Massachusetts; learning
	of the British plans, Paul Revere had ridden out from Boston to
	spread the word of the redcoats' advance, and militiamen and
	British troops had clashed, first at Lexington and then at Concord,
	where the Americans prevailed in a fierce skirmish at North Bridge;
	on their march back to Boston, the British had been fired upon
	relentlessly by the colonials, and General Gage had to send 1,500
	additional men to prevent their being overwhelmed; and
	WHEREAS, Two months later, in June 1775, the first major
	action between American and British troops took place when more
	than 2,000 British soldiers charged militiamen dug in on high
	ground overlooking Boston; the colonists withstood two assaults
	before running out of ammunition and inflicted heavy casualties in
	what became known as the Battle of Bunker Hill; and
	WHEREAS, With Britain intent on bringing the colonists to
	heel, sentiment in favor of independence continued to grow; it
	received additional impetus with the publication in January 1776 of
	Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense, which made an impassioned
	argument for casting off the fetters of a corrupt monarchy; the
	tract quickly sold some 150,000 copies; and
	WHEREAS, By July, many members of the Continental Congress
	believed that the bond with Great Britain should be dissolved; a
	vote on Lee's resolution to that effect was postponed, however, and
	a committee was appointed to draft a justification for such a
	fateful step; the committee, in turn, chose Thomas Jefferson, a
	33-year-old delegate from Virginia, to compose the document;
	finally, on July 2, representatives approved Lee's resolution and
	two days later, on July 4, they adopted the Declaration of
	Independence; and
	WHEREAS, The American Revolution would continue for another
	five long years and would demand much of the patriots; the tenacity
	of the troops who camped with General George Washington at Valley
	Forge during the winter of 1777-1778, when disease ravaged their
	ranks and food remained scarce for months, has come to symbolize
	their unyielding resolve; finally, in October 1781, American troops
	and their French allies succeeded in forcing the surrender of the
	besieged British army at Yorktown and the war was effectively won;
	and
	WHEREAS, The official tally of American military personnel
	killed in the War for Independence stands at nearly 4,500, with more
	than 6,000 wounded; altogether, it is believed that one percent of
	the American population died during the war, a figure that would
	translate today to a loss of more than 3 million individuals; and
	WHEREAS, The revolutionary generation encompassed military
	and political leaders of remarkable skill, as well as countless
	common folk whose devotion to the cause was crucial to its success;
	perhaps no one represents the ordinary patriot more vividly in the
	popular mind than Betsy Ross, the Philadelphia seamstress who came
	to be credited with creating the first flag to bear the stars and
	stripes, following a design that she received from George
	Washington in 1776; and
	WHEREAS, That venerable flag, now bearing 50 bright stars,
	will grace innumerable Fourth of July celebrations as Americans
	celebrate the 238th anniversary of this country's founding; on that
	day, along with their fellow citizens across the nation, Texans
	will gather to give thanks for the blessing of self-government and
	to affirm anew the fundamental principles of liberty, equality, and
	self-determination, principles expressed so eloquently in a
	document that continues to inspire people around the world; now,
	therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
	Legislature hereby commemorate the Fourth of July, 2014.
	Price
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 2827 was adopted by the House on May
	26, 2013, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House