Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1942-10-01
Ancient Structure Scene
Of Nations Beginnings

the news of Lexington, the AS
sembly agreed "to associate for
the purpose of defending with
arms" their property, freedom
and lives. On May 10 of that
year the Provincial Assembly re-
linquished the building to the
Continental Congress. A year
later Richard Henry Lee of Vir-
ginia arose in the Assembly
Chamber and proposed liberty
with the immortal words that
"these United Colonies are, and
of right ought to be, free and
Independent States"
Late in the afternoon of July
a, 1776, John Hancock, as presi-
dent of Congress, boldly inscrib-
ed his signature to a document
which was headed, "a Declara-
tion by the Representatives of
the United States of America in
General Congress Assembled"
Thus did the United States
come into being as a free and in
dependent nation.
On June Ia, 1777, the Congress
met in Independence Hall to ex-
anime a flag for the new nation
which General Washington had
commissioned Betsy Ross to make
The Stars and Stripes were
adopted that day and proclaim
ed as the flag of our country.
The Congress fled from Phil
adelphia in the grim winter of
1777-78, taking with them the
precious Liberty Bell. While
Washington's army suffered at
Valley Forge, British forces oc-
cupied Philadelphia and used the
Hall as a prison for American
officers captured at the battles
of Brandywine and Germantown.
When the Americans regained
the city, Congress again met in
the Hall and it was there in 1881
that the news of the surrender
of Lord CORVALLIS at Yorktown
was officially announced.
The Treaty of Peace, acknow-
Lodging the colonies to be free
and independent states, was ra-
titled beneath the tower of In
dependence Hall and it was there
in 1887 that the Federal Conven-
tion met to frame a Constitution
for the United States. By that
time the Halls sister buildings.
Congress Hall and Old City Hall
had been constructed on either
side of the Hall and in them the
first United States Congress and
the Supreme Court met from
1870 until 1900, when the new
Capital was established at Wash
ington.
Before the seat of government
was removed to the new city on
the shores of the Potomac, a sue
cession of stirring events took
place within the walls of Inde-
pendence Hall and it's neighbor-
ing group of buildings. George
Washington was inaugurated for
his second term in Congress Hall
and it was there that he took
leave of the people in his famous
Farewell Address. John Adams
took the oath as second President
in what was one of the Halls
final ceremonies as the seat of
government.
Even in the early days of the
Republic Independence Hall was
recognized as a shrine of Liberty
and, like today, was visited by
Americans seeking renewed faith
and inspiration in their Govern
ment. Every President has
journeyed to Independence Hall
as pilgrim to a shrine. In the
dark days of 1861, Lincoln stood
within the hallowed building and
pledged himself anew to freedom.
AS America entered the World
War, Woodrow Wilson came to
the Hall "to feed his spirit"
Today, with our nation en-
dangered as never before, anoth-
er generation of Americans may
gaze upon the quiet dignity of
the steepled building amid it's
modern setting, and redidicate