Latest news with #ChartersofFreedom
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Charters of Freedom dedication set for May 31 in Lillington
LILLINGTON — The Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and Civil Rights Amendments are coming to Harnett County thanks to the combined efforts of the county working with Foundation Forward, Inc. of Burke County, NC. These founding documents, known as The Charters of Freedom, are being permanently installed at 455 McKinney Parkway in Lillington. The Charters of Freedom setting will be dedicated at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 31. The public is invited to attend this patriotic event. Harnett County will be the 71st Charters of Freedom setting permanently placed in communities across the country and the 43rd in the state of North Carolina, by Foundation Forward, an educational Nonprofit created by Vance and Mary Jo Patterson of Burke County. The inspiration to set up Foundation Forward followed their first visit to the National Archives to see the founding documents. 'Seeing something our founding fathers had actually penned, and then seeing their signatures — Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Rutledge, Wilson and the others — I just got goosebumps,' Vance Patterson said. 'And, then when we moved over and saw those first three words of The Constitution, We The People, I actually got a lump in my throat. It was really an emotional experience.' The Pattersons now work to bring that experience to communities across the country, having completed settings from Florida to Wasilla, Alaska. Foundation Forward's mission is to install Charters of Freedom settings in easily accessible locations so communities can view these founding documents in a proper setting without having to incur the costs of traveling to Washington, D.C. 'Imagine if you will school teachers bringing their third, fourth, and fifth grade classes to their Charters of Freedom for annual field trips to learn a little about our founding fathers, the history surrounding the beginning of our country, and how the government is meant to serve and protect We The People,' he said in his dedication speech. This local access will also provide a place for citizens to gather, celebrate, honor and reflect. A Donor Recognition Pedestal has been erected next to the Charters of Freedom setting for Harnett County citizens to honor loved ones or to recognize active duty military or veterans, first responders, businesses or organizations. These can be purchased from Foundation Forward for a tax-deductible donation at or call (828) 522-1400.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What to know about claims Trump sought to move original Declaration of Independence to Oval Office
In early March 2025, claims emerged that U.S. President Donald Trump asked advisers about moving the original copy of the Declaration of Independence from its permanent exhibit in the National Archives to the White House's Oval Office. The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the United States, in which the original thirteen colonies declared themselves a sovereign nation separate from the rule of Great Britain's King George III. The Continental Congress, which governed the colonies during the American Revolution, ratified the document on July 4, 1776. Internet users discussed the claim in various Reddit threads and on social media platforms like TikTok (archived), Instagram (archived), Facebook (archived) and Threads (archived). Trump Tried to Seize Original Declaration of Independence for Oval Officebyu/Majano57 inuspolitics Some users jokingly compared Trump's request to the 2004 film "National Treasure," in which Nicolas Cage's character enacted a plan to steal the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives. The claim that Trump sought to move the original Declaration of Independence to the Oval Office originated from an article in The Atlantic, which reported that the information came from "people familiar with the conversations who requested anonymity to describe the planning." The article also noted that Trump had since backed down from his request to move the original document, and that "subsequent discussions appear to have focused on the possibility of moving one of the historical copies of the document." Snopes has not yet been able to independently verify these claims. Neither the White House nor the National Archives immediately responded to our inquiries about Trump asking to move the document. This article will be updated should we receive a response. The Rotunda of the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., has displayed the original documents of America's "Charters of Freedom" — the Declaration of Independence in addition to the original copies of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights — since 1952. Due to deterioration of the helium-filled encasements, starting in 2001 the exhibit underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation to upgrade the protective encasements and make the attraction more accessible to visitors with disabilities. The Rotunda reopened to the public following the completion of the project in 2003. According to a National Archives factsheet from the time of the renovations, the new argon-filled encasements offered increased protection for the documents as well as easier access for conservators: The design for the new encasements will allow conservators to open and reseal the cases — if it's ever necessary — to examine the documents or modify the interior components. The documents will be mounted so that glass never touches parchment. Ultra-smooth surfaces, new space age gaskets and the use of argon gas, rather than helium, will prevent leakage. The new design allows for flexibility to incorporate future conservation techniques as they are developed. As The Atlantic pointed out, moving the original documents would be impractical both logistically and financially, especially for an administration whose primary platform has been the elimination of excessive spending in government. White House aides recognized this impracticality, according to The Atlantic article, which read in part: Trump's request alarmed some of his aides, who immediately recognized both the implausibility and the expense of moving the original document. Displayed in the rotunda at the National Archives Building, in Washington, D.C., it is perhaps the most treasured historical document in the U.S. government's possession. The original is behind heavy glass in an oxygen-free, argon-filled case that can retract into the wall at night for security. Because of light damage to the faded animal-skin parchment, the room is kept dimly lit; restrictions have been placed on how often the doors can even be opened. We previously looked into the claim that the U.S. National Archives Records Association introduced a "Harmful Language Alert" to accompany some historical documents on its website, including the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Dapcevich, Madison. "Did National Archives Put 'Harmful Language' Alert on US Constitution?" Snopes, 10 Sept. 2021, Parker, Ashley, and Michael Scherer. "Trump's Own Declaration of Independence." The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2025, "Press Kits: Charters of Freedom Re-Encasement Project." National Archives, 15 Aug. 2016, "Trump Asked 'Alarmed' Aides for the Original Declaration of Independence to Be Moved to the Oval Office." Yahoo News, 7 Mar. 2025, U.S. Documents Again On Display - CBS News. 16 Sept. 2003, Wolf, Zachary B. "Trump's Plan for Government: 'Maximum' Cuts He Can Get Away with | CNN Politics." CNN, 6 Mar. 2025,
Washington Post
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
D.C. announces its plans to celebrate nation's 250th birthday next year
As the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding looms next year, officials at the National Archives, the Smithsonian Institution and the D.C. tourism industry outlined plans Tuesday to celebrate the semiquincentennial. 'Only in D.C. can you see the actual Declaration of Independence, and we will have by far the best celebration of the 250th in America,' said Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and chief executive of Destination DC. Organizers said commemorations will look to strike the balance between celebrating the nation's founding ideals while recognizing historic events that kept many Americans from having access to those very freedoms. For the first time since the 1950s, the National Archives will add to the Charters of Freedom display in the Rotunda, which includes the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, said Archivist of the United States Colleen J. Shogan. Archivists will put on exhibit the 19th Amendment, which cemented the right to vote for women, in March 2026 alongside the other founding documents, Shogan said. The Emancipation Proclamation will be exhibited in January of next year. 'Both of these documents are milestone documents that mark the beginning of the fulfillment of the principles contained in the Declaration of Independence,' Shogan said. 'They help to tell a more complete history of the United States of America.' Officials on Tuesday touted the city's many historical treasures and memorials, which they hope will draw tourism dollars throughout 2026. Planning this year will feature ways to fill hotels and restaurants with patriotic celebrators and visitors from abroad, Ferguson said. National Museum of American History curators will open 'In Pursuit of Life Liberty and Happiness' in spring of 2026, which will feature '250 objects vital to American history,' said Lisa Sasaki, deputy undersecretary of special projects at the Smithsonian Institution. To stay in theme, the new exhibit will feature the desk Thomas Jefferson used to write the Declaration of Independence, Sasaki said. Organizers are planning events venues across the city, Sasaki said, but announced plans to host a month-long festival called 'Of the People,' which will expand on the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival and incorporate celebrations from the states and U.S. territories. 'Together we can foster connections and forge a path forward towards our shared future, which is our theme for the 250th,' Sasaki said. Renovations and upgrades to the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials will reopen on the National Mall later this year and early next, according to Catherine Townsend, president and CEO of the Trust for the National Mall. Plans are underway to restore fountains and beautify Lafayette Square, she said. Officials have plans, but not full funding, to revamp the Sylvan Theater at the base of the Washington Monument as well as Constitution Gardens and a memorial to the Declaration's signers. 'Originally built as a gift to the nation in the bicentennial, we are ready to break ground on this incredible project — once fundraising is complete — to make this a new gift to the nation,' Townsend said. In addition to planning downtown, celebratory panels are meeting across the country under America250, the national semiquincentennial commission legislated by Congress. America250 launched its nationwide effort on July 4, 2023 to organize and formalize commemorations in the 50 states as well as D.C. Earlier this month, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced the formation of the DC250 commission tasked with communicating with residents to create celebrations not just for the city but the nation, she said. Commission appointee and former D.C. Council member Charlene Drew Jarvis said earlier this month that she welcomed the 'extraordinary opportunity to lend a voice to the celebration' and expects the commission to seek a diverse array of voices that across genders, generations and backgrounds. 'Woman have earned their place in many places in the society that was not true when we celebrated the bicentennial, that's a good thing,' Jarvis said. 'People of color, of all colors, are a part of the leadership of the country in many ways, in business and in politics. 'We want to make sure we pick up the zeitgeist what was happening at that time and then celebrate a country that has come very far from that day.'
