Today is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s approval in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The break from Great Britain and George III was agreed to by the Congress on July 2, 1776, and the language of the Declaration was approved on July 4th. The document was sent to the printer, and the writing was approved on August 2, 1776. The Declaration was read at Leesburg, Virginia, on August 12, 1776, on the steps of the original Loudoun County Courthouse, near 18 East Market Street. Many folks attended, potentially including Joseph and William Longley, my family’s direct ancestors, family men, and patriotic tenant farmers who served when called.
Historical Approval of Declaration of Independence
The approval of the Declaration was a historical act conspicuous both in North America and world history. It needs to be addressed humbly and reverently as a sacred text with revolutionary thoughts. We all have a duty to understand its provisions and history. Therefore, for every American, a duty on July 4th should be to reread and study the Declaration. I did the reading this morning, cup of coffee in hand.
The statement, profoundly salient in human history, begins in the second paragraph: “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…”
The Declaration specifies that Governments derive their power from “the consent of the governed.”
The Declaration lists “facts” submitted to a “candid world”. The facts contain specific allegations of Tyranny arising from repeated injuries and usurpations, as outlined in the Declaration.
On this 250th anniversary of Independence Day, and for the remainder of their lives, Americans should at least annually read and study the Declaration and determine the extent to which the current administration of government replicates the tyranny that existed on July 4, 1776.
This is very personal, but my reading is there has been an erosion of liberty and a clear and present danger of authoritarian Tyranny. Though this judgment occurs after personal study and reflection, it must be presented and advanced through the community as any threat grows and that is the next consideration.
Where Was Your Family on July 4, 1776?
To add a personal perspective, another pursuit for Independence Day study is researching how your family or heroes fit into the history of the time. The Longleys were likely tenant farmers who lived near Purcellville in Shelburne Parish, Loudoun County, between 1764 and 1780. Joseph Longley likely moved his family, including his wife, Augustine Steel, and sons Joseph and William, from Hunterdon County, New Jersey, to Virginia in the early 1760s. They likely moved with other families from New Jersey, including the Bodines. Mary Ann Bodline became William Longley’s wife in 1780.
There may have been specific legal disputes, but the movement was common at the time because of land pressure and legal complexities in Hunterdon County, and perceived opportunities from Lord Fairfax’s holding in Northern Virginia. The Quakers, in many ways, led the way, but the Baptists joined in.
Around 1776 in Western Loudoun County, the main crops for livelihood were wheat and corn. As a condition of tenancy, fruit and peach trees were often planted, and livestock were raised. This was supplemented by farm labor on larger estates and the development of trades, including blacksmithery. Often, tenant farmers paid their quitrents in kind rather than cash.
The Dissenters of Western Loudoun County, The Loudoun Resolves, The Service of
Private William C. Longley
Many who lived in Western Loudoun County were viewed as dissenters. This possibly had roots in independent Quaker and Baptist communities. A relatively early manifestation of the dissent was the Loudoun Resolves of June 14, 1774. These resolutions expressed repugnance at “the most oppressive and tyrannical Act of the British Parliament” that blocked Boston Harbor and rendered their property useless.
The Resolves expressed objection to any tax not imposed on them by representatives of their own choosing and “a despotic exertion of unconstitutional power designedly calculated to enslave a free and loyal people. They threatened that by enforcing the Act of Parliament by a military power “must have a necessary tendency to raise a civil war, and with our lives and fortunes, assist and support our suffering brethren . . ..”
The Resolves were read at the Leesburg Courthouse on June 14, 1774, about two years before the Declaration of Independence. It was then signed by 51 prominent freemen and participants from the County. One of the signatories was Benjamin Isaac Humphrey, and his known connection to the Longley family was through his brother, Captain Thomas Marcus Humphrey, Jr., who was Private William C. Longley’s commander in the Virginia Militia.
Private William C. Longley served for 15 months in the Virginia Militia after being drafted in October 1780. He participated in the action, establishing an enduring foundation to implement the Loudoun Resolves and the Congressional Declaration of Independence in 1776. Private Longley participated in combat and labor at Yorktown in 1781, about a year into his militia service.
He declared in his pension application: “Declarant was one of the troops forming this hollow square into which the prisoners were marched when Cornwallis surrendered. The prisoners taken on the Glorchester side were marched to Winchester in Virginia, the declarant being one of their guards. These prisoners were guarded at Winchester for three months, as the declarant thinks, when they were marched into Frederickstown in Maryland, where the declarant was discharged in February, as he recollects.”
So, with a timeless declaration made by the Second Continental Congress 250 years ago on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia and then read around the new Country at many courthouses and other assembly sites, supported by the military action of the Continental Line and various militias, and our allies the French through years of war, culminating in a battle at Yorktown.
Our Enduring Duty to Monitor and
Uphold The Declaration’s Seminal Principles
We have enjoyed a Constitutional Republic for 250 years. As a personal consideration, we have an enduring duty to continuously monitor to ensure we uphold the seminal principles outlined in the Declaration and to advance their achievement through our community of fellow Americans. Read and study the Declaration at least once a year so it does not fall from our active consciousness.
As Doris Kearns Goodwin, the eminent historian, advised on a television segment celebrating the 250th anniversary today, it is up to the citizen stepping up, organizing voting, participating in civic life, who steer the country onto its path. It was true for the Loudoun Resolves, the Declaration of Independence, and today. Each year, beginning this year, make it your duty to read and study the Declaration, calculate where we are, and then act through your community, as the patriots did in 1776, 1781, and many times since, to preserve our Declaration and our union.
I Love The Horizon – Thank You
The Dog Jefferson is pretty Great too
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Last modified: July 5, 2026
