The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4.
Contrary to the popular belief that July 4th was the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the event is actually celebrated two days late. Although Thomas Jefferson and John Adams mentioned that the signing ceremony took place on July 4th, the reality was something else. It was later in 1884 that the truth was finally established by historian Mellon Chamberlain after he made a thorough study of the manuscript minutes of the Congress journal. Reuters.

In the initial stages of this dynamic victory, the reading of the Declaration of Independence caused eruptions of cheering and celebrations with powerful displays of fireworks, firecrackers, bonfires, firearms, and clanging bells that could be heard and seen from miles away. Today, Americans celebrate Independence Day on July 4th every year as "America's birthday" with fireworks, feasting and family and friends. Celebrating freedom has helped Americans understand the pride and importance of the liberation we hold. However, has America lost its way with the decline in both what people believe America now stands for and the declivity of patriotism from younger Americans.

Americans are feeling less and less confident that America is the world's sole remaining superpower, a new poll from Time Magazine reveals. The poll suggests that American's feel they are a declining superpower. Threats from over-seas to national security as well as the tough economic challenges at home over the last ten years have made people more aware of the challenges facing America and people feel they have been neglected.

It must be time to panic in relation to what American's know about their own history. Politicians must take responsibility; especially when it comes to the mistakes of the Tea Party. The movement's darling, Herman Cain announced his candidacy for the U.S Presidency and cited words from the U.S Constitution to enforce his points. However the passage he was reading from was the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.

Further mistakes have embarrassed the movement. Sarah Palin's butchering of Paul Revere's role in the American Revolution or Michelle Bachmann's truly revisionist mangling of the facts to claim that the founding father's tried to abolish slavery is truly shocking. The disdain for knowledge, facts and learning is something the Tea Party and the American right can't hide behind.

Two thirds of American's are said too feel that they have lived through a decade of decline for America. This echoes what other polls have said over the past year, finding that American's are more inwardly thinking that ever before. Three quarters of American's say that the economic weakness poses a far greater threat to the U.S than any other national security threat.

A new poll asking American's about Independence Day shows the nation up. A new Marist poll concludes that the vast majority of people are hazy on the details of the national holiday. Only fifty eight per cent of American's knew the U.S declared its independence in 1776. Sixteen per cent of the nation believed it was another date. Only thirty one per cent of American's younger than thirty knew who the U.S declared independence from.

Paul Giana, a teacher from New York City, calls the poll results shocking. "It's not a focus anymore," he said. "It's kind of our responsibility to have a stronger sense of history and I think we do a poor job of passing that on to the next generation."

"No one is scoring an A plus on these questions regardless of age, but when it comes to people under 30, clearly those numbers are pretty disturbing," said Lee Miringhoff, director of the Marist poll.

For more on the Independece Day click here

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