IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 986 
Supporting a national and international celebration commemorating the 250th 
anniversary of the United States of America’s birth, to be held through-
out the year 2026, focused on the Greater Philadelphia Region in the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of Delaware, and the State 
of New Jersey. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 16, 2009 
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. ADLER of New Jersey, Mr. 
FATTAH, Mr. GERLACH, Ms. SCHWARTZ, Mr. KANJORSKI, Mr. NEAL of 
Massachusetts, Mr. PIERLUISI, Mr. WELCH, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. PATRICK 
J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. PAYNE, and Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ 
of California) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Supporting a national and international celebration com-
memorating the 250th anniversary of the United States 
of America’s birth, to be held throughout the year 2026, 
focused on the Greater Philadelphia Region in the Com-
monwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of Delaware, and 
the State of New Jersey. 
Whereas, on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the 
members of the Second Continental Congress adopted 
‘‘The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United 
States of America’’, popularly known as the Declaration 
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•HRES 986 IH 
of Independence, asserting independence from Great 
Britain; 
Whereas the tri-state Greater Philadelphia Region played a 
pivotal role in the founding of the United States of Amer-
ica; 
Whereas the Greater Philadelphia Region was the site of the 
meeting of the First and Second Continental Congresses, 
the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independ-
ence and the United States Constitution, seminal battles 
of the Revolutionary War such as Princeton and Brandy-
wine, and the historic encampment at Valley Forge; 
Whereas individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, free 
and enslaved Africans, and members of the Oneida Na-
tion fought side by side in the Revolutionary War to ob-
tain liberty for all, thereby making the anniversary of the 
founding of the United States an occasion to celebrate 
both the Nation’s diversity and the common pursuit of its 
peoples; 
Whereas several foreign governments and individuals from 
nations such as France and Poland assisted the Amer-
ican colonies in their fight for Independence, and several 
nations such as Morocco were early supporters of the 
young United States of America, thereby making the an-
niversary of the founding of the United States an occa-
sion for international celebration; 
Whereas the Greater Philadelphia Region has hosted major 
celebrations honoring landmark anniversaries of the Na-
tion’s birth, including the Nation’s first world’s fair at 
the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, the Sesquicentennial of 
1926, and the Bicentennial of 1976; 
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•HRES 986 IH 
Whereas the Greater Philadelphia Region today contains nu-
merous historical sites connected to our Nation’s birth 
and Revolutionary-period history, including Independence 
Hall and the Liberty Bell, the Graff House site where 
Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independ-
ence, the site of Benjamin Franklin’s house, the City of 
Dover, where Delaware became the first State to ratify 
the Constitution, Valley Forge National Historical Park, 
Washington Crossing Historic Park, Trenton Battlefield 
State Park, the President’s House in Philadelphia, the 
Betsy Ross House, Fort Mifflin, Christ Church, and the 
National Constitution Center; 
Whereas the United States, through the National Park Serv-
ice, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of 
New Jersey, the State of Delaware, and numerous orga-
nizations have established extensive museums, tours, ex-
hibitions, and print and online materials focused on inter-
preting the events and sites of 1776, and commemorating 
their significance in the Nation’s founding history, mili-
tary history, social and ethnic history, and history of Af-
rican and African-American peoples in the Americas; 
Whereas the year 2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of 
the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and 
thereby our Nation’s birth; 
Whereas a national celebration of the Nation’s birth in 2026 
will provide a milestone opportunity to commemorate the 
Nation’s historic achievements, progress in social and 
civil rights, and contemporary patriotism; 
Whereas such a celebration will provide an important oppor-
tunity to promote and celebrate the history, culture, tra-
ditions, and experiences of the diverse peoples and groups 
that shaped our Nation’s history; and 
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