 Good morning, everyone. Good morning! Welcome to the National Archives. My name is Allison Seymour, and before we get started, I'd just like to thank the experienced band and show for their great performance earlier, keeping us entertained, DC's own. Always so wonderful. Again, thank you for joining us on this very special Fourth of July. And the National Archives is the permanent home of the Declaration of Independence for more than 40 years. The National Archives has hosted a ceremony on this day, July 4th, to celebrate our independence. Can we just have one more time? Happy birthday, America! Can we do it? It is the kickoff event for all of today's patriotic activities in our nation's capital. After this ceremony, stay right here to enjoy much more live music followed by the National Independence Day Parade right on Constitution Avenue, or you can escape this heat and come inside the National Archives building to see the original Declaration of Independence and participate in our family activities. And then later this evening, the National Symphony Orchestra will present its annual concert, a capital fourth, right in front of the U.S. Capitol, and after that concert, our world-class fireworks on the National Mall. And you may have noticed our volunteers. They're carrying big signs with today's hashtag and other social media information. I'm looking for you. I'm looking for you. I know you're there. The National Archives is on Twitter and Instagram as U.S. NAT Archives. U.S. NAT Archives. So please share your Fourth of July experience using that hashtag, Archives July 4th. And after the ceremony, don't miss our special Declaration of Independence signing booth, and then following the ceremony, the booth will be set up inside the museum, with other great family activities. So again, stick around, enjoy the day, and celebrate our independence. And now please rise for the presentation of the colors by the Continental Color Guard from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, the Old Guard, followed by the Marymount University Chamber Singers singing the National Anthem. Let's hear it one more time. And now we have the United States Army Old Guard, Fife and Drum Corps. Their uniforms are from the Revolutionary War era, and so is their music. And I'm pleased to present Command Sergeant Major Lucricia Fields to narrate their performance. Please join me in welcoming the Old Guard, Fife and Drum Corps. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. The United States Army Military District of Washington, under the command of Major General Trevor J. Braydenkamp, is proud to present the United States Army Old Guard, Fife and Drum Corps. Since 1960, the Old Guard, Fife and Drum Corps has carried on the Army's tradition of excellence, acting as the official escort to the President of the United States. The Corps wears uniforms patterned after those of General Washington's Continental Army. In order to be easily identified, military musicians were the reverse colors of their assigned regiment. At that time, American infantry soldiers wore blue coats with red facings. Thus, the musicians were red coats with blue facings. During the Revolutionary War, sounds of the Fife, Bugle and Drum could be heard across the battlefield as brave soldiers fought for our nation's independence. Musicians harnessed the unifying power of music to rally the troops, express cultural identity, and entertain. On the night of Paul Revere's historic ride, Bugler Abel Benson also rode, sounding the alarm. Zeal Lou served as a Pfeiffer and drummer in two American wars and was praised for his bravery at the Battle of Bunker Hill. A female bugler from Michigan disguised herself as a man to fight in the American Civil War under the alias Frank Martin. Alexander Johnson, a drummer and Civil War veteran, brought music back to his community by establishing a drum and bugle corps. Soldier musicians have been influential in shaping our nation's history. We're honored to highlight their individual contributions and recognize their selfless service. Pinned in soldier's diaries, folk melodies have connected and inspired us throughout our nation's history. The Corps honors the legacies of our country's soldier musicians and all who have served with our stately and traditional troop step set here to dawning of the day. A shared pride in our nation and the desire to find comfort in a new home ultimately brought Americans together to fight as one. The Old Guard Commander, Colonel David B. Rowland and the Pfeiffer and Drum Corps Commander, Chief Warrant Officer for Donna L. Morgan, it has been our pleasure performing for you today. Drum roll. Even though, please be seated, please be seated, even though this is the permanent home of the Declaration of Independence, that extraordinary piece of parchment is just one of the billions of documents held in trust by the National Archives. The pieces of paper, the photographs and films and the holdings of the National Archives tell the story of democracy in the United States and the mission of the National Archives is to make these documents available to you, the American people. And now I would like to introduce a very special and important person to whom our nation has entrusted the care of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. Colleen Shogun is the Archivist of the United States. Dr. Shogun is the 11th Archivist of the United States and she is the first woman to be appointed to that role. Most recently, Dr. Shogun served as Senior Vice President and Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center at the White House Historical Association. She previously worked in the United States Senate and as a senior executive at the Library of Congress. Dr. Shogun was the Vice Chair of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission and the Chair of the Board of Directors at the Women's Suffrage National Monument Foundation. Ladies and gentlemen, the Archivist of the United States. Thank you. Good morning. It's great to see you here today on the 247th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Welcome to the National Archives, Fourth of July Celebration. This is my first Fourth of July ceremony here as Archivist of the United States and I have to say it is a thrill to be with you here today. A big thanks to Allison Seymour for joining us again this year as MC of our festivities and special greetings to those of you who are watching our celebration online via livestream. One of my greatest honors and responsibilities as Archivist of the United States is serving as the steward and protector of our nation's founding documents. This includes the Declaration of Independence which is right through these doors behind me and one of the great perks of my job is that I get to see the Declaration on a regular basis. In fact, I make it a point to walk past it every day that I work inside this building. To me, it is the most important document on display. It is truly the foundational record of our country's existence. It is our origin story. In the Declaration, Thomas Jefferson and his co-authors issued the most audacious statement in the history of humanity. This is, of course, a proclamation that all men are created equal. Before Jefferson and other like-minded thinkers of his time, individuals didn't have intrinsic rights guaranteed by government. It is truly revolutionary in every sense of the word. This phrase, all men are created equal, has been analyzed for almost 250 years. The most frequently asked question concerns inclusion. Is the Declaration for everyone, including women, those who were enslaved and people of all origins and backgrounds? I strongly believe the answer is yes. Jefferson's remarkable statement did not reflect the reality of the time, but it should be viewed as a promise for all human existence. Now, did you ever wonder how the Declaration ended up here at the National Archives? The Declaration of Independence has traveled a great many miles in its 247 years. This parchment document was signed by our founders in 1776 in Philadelphia. It then moved with the Continental Congress from city to city, from Philadelphia to Baltimore to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and finally to Princeton, New Jersey. After the Revolutionary War, Congress first met in Annapolis and then in Trenton. From 1885 to 1790, the Declaration's home was in New York City. In 1789, the Secretary of Congress transferred the document to the Secretary of State. The Declaration then moved with the federal government to Philadelphia, and at long last, arrived at its home in Washington, D.C. in 1800. Now, during the War of 1812, a clerk at the State Department, Stephen Pleasanton, the Declaration of Independence, and other important documents in a linen bag and put them in a wagon and hid them. The very next day, Washington was burning, including the White House, but the Declaration was safe, hidden in nearby Virginia. In the 1800s, the Declaration of Independence was placed on exhibit for long periods of time. In fact, it hung directly opposite a window where the Declaration is faded today. In 1921, President Harding signed an order transferring the Declaration and the Constitution to my former home, the Library of Congress. Just before the United States entered World War II, both documents were on the move again. This time, they were sent to Fort Knox for safekeeping, where they remained until September 1944 when they returned once again to the Library of Congress. At long last, these documents came to their final home here at the National Archives on December 13, 1952. As part of a major parade, military personnel transported the Declaration and the Constitution from the Library of Congress down Constitution Avenue and up the steps to the Archives' retunder. After the ceremony, I invite you to come inside our very cool air-conditioned building of the Declaration of Independence, along with the Constitution and Bill of Rights, for yourself. In the coming years, we will add the Emancipation Proclamation to the Charters of Freedom, and it will remain on permanent display inside the retunda as well. These are your founding documents. The National Archives serves as the proud stewards of these treasures, but along with the other 13 billion records we protect and preserve, they are owned by you, the citizens of the United States. A few reminders before I introduce our keynote speaker. You can share your pictures and stories from your 4th of July experience at the National Archives by tagging us, USNAT Archives on Twitter and Instagram, and we also have a hashtag, Archives July 4th. You can also add your own John Hancock to the Declaration of Independence at a signing booth inside. And although we don't normally allow photography inside the museum, we have made a 4th of July exception for you to snap a photo with one of our special historical guests today inside. Both of these activities will be inside at the Boeing Learning Center after the ceremony. Now I would like to introduce our keynote speaker today. This morning I am honored to welcome NFL legend Doug Williams. Doug really needs no introduction to Washington DC, but for those of us who might need a reminder, he is best known for his performance with the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl 22 against the Denver Broncos, where he was named Super Bowl MVP. He was the first black quarterback to both start and win a Super Bowl. Doug is a veteran of 21 NFL seasons including nine as a player and 21 in scouting and personnel roles. Presently he is the senior advisor to the Washington Commander's President Jason Wright. In his role Doug leverages his vast experience to provide counsel on all matters pertaining to the establishment of a new modern identity for the team. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Doug Williams to the National Archives. Thank you Dr. Shogan. What a great morning. It's amazing just looking out here and realizing it's the 4th of July and what it stands for. Let me put my glasses on and help me a little bit. First of all I want to say congratulations to Dr. Shogan being the first woman architect in USA. I think that in itself deserves it. And I want to say thanks to her staff who contacted me and gave me an opportunity just to stand before you this morning. That's Nicole who told me it was not going to rain today and I appreciate that. Maureen, Sabrina and Jim thank you and all the rest of the staff. And I also have three young ladies who I guess they was up this morning because it's the 4th of July and they even had the freedom to get up this morning. And that's my lovely wife Dr. Rhonda Williams and her two daughters Laura and Lee. They're also my two daughters. As I stand here thinking about the independence on the 4th of July. Being free certainly is something that we all think about. I wonder what would have happened on January the 31st 1988 in San Diego if I had not been free. You know we look around you realize how important it is and what we're going through today and all the way from 1776 to where we are today. I think if you look around you realize how important the 4th of July and Independence Day is all about. Dr. Shogun did a great job explaining the history of the Declaration of Independence. You know in 1964 I was nine years old and that was a group from your visit and I think everybody will remember this. The Beatles came to town but they refused to play in front of a segregated audience until the Civil Rights Bill was signed and I think that was signed in 1964 and we still fighting for that Civil Rights Bill in 2023 and I think that's something that freedom is all about and we got to get to that point that we don't have to worry about that you know and today you know as I look around out there I think we all look at each other and realize that we all are the same got the same coming gold it's just that it might be brown but white is all the same we should think the same way and realize how important it is to be free you know you look at the flags out there you look at that band came and performed they're free you're free and I think that's the most important thing that we have to realize is the fact that we have that you know I can think about myself growing up a small town Zachary, Louisiana you know 4th of July was very very important because of the freedom that we had to do it and today standing here in Washington DC I never thought I'd be able to stand in front of a crowd in Washington DC to do this when I was a little boy I didn't dream of it but Dr. Shogunam gave me this opportunity and this is something that for me you know I wish my mom and dad were still living to witness this I wish my brothers and sisters was here today to witness this because we all in that small town kind of thought the same way that we was free but we didn't know how free we really was and now they realize that you're free to do what you want to do and that's what this Independence Day is all about and the Declaration of Independence so I just want to say thank you thank you for giving us this day and thank you for giving opportunities for me to stand up here and for you to listen to me just talk about some of the things that I've had to go through and wonder what would have happened what would have happened if I didn't have the freedom that I have today so thank you happy to introduce to you a very distinguished group of people who will read the Declaration of Independence our first three readers will be General George Washington Mr. John Hancock Mrs. Abigail Adams and next to read the grievances against King George III we have three of the leaders of the Second Continental Congress Mr. Thomas Jefferson Mr. John Adams and Dr. Benjamin Franklin these three gentlemen know the words of the Declaration better than anyone else all three served on the committee to draft the Declaration and Mr. Jefferson was the primary author and to read the names of the 56 signers of the Declaration we are proud to have Private Edward Ned Hector of the Third Pennsylvania Artillery Company a free black colonial soldier a patriot and a hero and finally we will have some audience participation just as our colonial forefathers would have done as our special guest reader of the grievances against King George watch for James Fortin historical abolitionist Philadelphia sale maker and our town crier today he will be assisted by our volunteers that are holding the signs to tell us when we should express our displeasure with a hearty boo sounds good and now the Declaration of Independence in Congress July 4th 17 and 76 the unanimous declaration of the 13 United States of America of course human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation we hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men deriving their just power from the consent of the governed that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and to institute a new government laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness Prudence indeed will dictate the governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes and accordingly the experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable than to write themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed but when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing it invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism it is right it is their duty to throw off such government and to provide new guards for their future security such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government the history of the present king written is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states to prove this let facts be submitted to a candid world he has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome necessary for the public good he has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance unless suspended in their operation until his assent should be obtained and when so suspended he has utterly neglected to attend to them to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only he has called together legislative bodies at places unusual uncomfortable and distant from the depository of their public records for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures he has dissolved representative houses repeatedly for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people he has refused for such a long time after such dissolutions to cause others to be elected whereby the legislative powers incapable of annihilation have returned to the people at large for their exercise the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all dangers of invasion from without and from convulsions within he has endeavored to prevent the population of these states for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands he has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers he has made judges dependent on his will alone for the tenure of their offices and the amount and payment of their salaries he has erected a multitude of new officers and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people and eat out their substance he has kept among us in times of peace standing armies without the consent of our legislatures he has effected to render the military independent of and superior to the civil power he has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws given his assent to their acts of pretended legislation for quartering large bodies of armed troops among us for protecting them by a mock trial from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states for cutting off our trade with all parts of the world for imposing taxes on us without our consent for depriving us in many cases of the benefits of trial by jury for transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses for abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province establishing therein an arbitrary government and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these colonies for taking away our charters abolishing our most valuable laws and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments for suspending our own legislatures and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate us in all cases whatsoever he has abdicated government here by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us he has plundered our seas he has ravaged our coast burnt our towns and destroyed the lives of our people he is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death desolation and tyranny already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation he has constrained all those citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country to become the executioners of their friends and brethren or to fall themselves by their hands he has excited domestic insurrections amongst us and has endeavored to bring the inhabitants of our frontiers the merciless indians savages whose known rule is an undistinguished destruction of all ages sexes and conditions in every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury a prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people nor have we been wanting in our attentions to our British brethren we have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us we have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here we have appealed to their native justice and anonymity and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence they too have been deaf to the voice of justice and consanguinity we must therefore acquiesce in the necessity which denounces our separation and hold them as we hold the rest of mankind in enemies in war in peace friends we therefore the representatives of the united states of america in general congress assembled appealing to the supreme judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies solemnly publish and declare that these united independent states of all allegiance to the british crown and that all political connection between them and the state of great britain is and ought to be resolved and that as free and independent states they have full power to levy war conclude peace contract alliances establish commerce and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do and for the support of this declaration with a firm reliance in the protection of divine providence we mutually pledge to each other our lives our oceans and our sacred honor general washington mr. hancock mr. jefferson mr. adams dr. franklin and mr. fortin how stirring it is to hear the words just as they were written 247 years ago by the colonies and the signers of the declaration and we will show our approval by shouting haza can we say it? haza so once again watch for the town crier assisted by our volunteers holding the signs to show when you should shout so after private hector reads the names of the signers from each state let's haza our approval but first again let's practice our party haza on the count of three one two three wait for private hector to read all the names from each state and then shout out our approval with a haza which is hard to do because i know we have many people visiting today but let's try to do it and now the names of the signers of the declaration of independence my fellow americans my fellow citizens my friends i ask you the question who would ever sign such a document i answer you these are the brave souls that would do such a thing i hasten to remind you these things will be remembered by your children so take them to heart first to the honorable president of the continental congress john hankock haza georgia button gwynett lineman hall and george warton haza carolida weyam hoop joseph hugh and john pin south carolida edward rutilich thomas hayward jr thomas lynch jr and arthur middleton haza chase weyam peca thomas stone and charles carol of carolton haza gorge weth ritchard thomas jefferson bidgeman harrison thomas nosen jr and francis lightfoot lee and carter braxton haza savania yes robert morris benjamin rush benjamin franklin john morton george climber james smith george taylor hams wilson and ross rodney reed and thomas mckin haza livingston francis luis and luis morris haza ritchards doctrine john weatherspoon francis hopkinson john heart abraham clark haza joseph dornton joseph bartlett weyam whiple vastatouces john adams john adams ritchard treate elbridge gary even hopkins ellery sherman samuel huddeacon weyam oliver wallcott haza this document is attested to by the secretary charles thompson and to this i bid we the people to say haza again haza one more haza haza now before we have the program finale i want to tell you about some of the activities that we have inside the national archives building today this building will close at 7 p.m. so don't miss your chance to see the declaration of independence the constitution, the bill of rights and the magna carta we also have a special hands on july 4th family activities planned in the museum until 4 p.m. so make sure to stop by the national archive store tent for exclusive independent state products that support educational outreach and events like this at the national archives and i'd also like to thank the people who helped make this year's july 4th celebration possible the national archives foundation and long time sponsors of this great event john hancock and dykema mr. doug williams our keynote speaker the american historical theater reenactors portraying thomas jefferson john adams and ben franklin and our representative of the continental army private net hector and guest george washington john hancock abigail adams and james forton the continental color guard from the third u.s. infantry regiment the old guard and the third u.s. infantry regiment the old guard fife and drum corps dr. kimberley hess and the marrymont university chamber singers millison scarlett who you will hear from and the experience band and show and of course we would not have this celebration without the hard work of the staff and the volunteers here at the national archives i also want to thank you for joining us to commemorate the 247th anniversary of our declaration of independence the national independence day parade starts at 1145 right after this ceremony but before the parade starts the experience band and show will join us on stage again for some live music i wish you all a wonderful fourth of july and i hope you'll stay to our finale and take part in our activities this afternoon and don't forget share your fourth of july experience on social media using that hashtag archives july 4 i can't wait to see all of your posts and please remain seated as we welcome miss millison scarlett who will close out our program with america the beautiful thank you and god bless you