We believe: There is a lot more to the Fourth of July than picnics and fireworks.

Picnics, parades and, especially, fireworks make up the Fourth of July for many people. Today, people all over Madison County and the United States will be indulging in all of the above, with Anderson’s Midnight Parade kicking things off, followed by a leisurely day of barbecue and hot dogs and capped off with a canopy of fireworks at dusk. Many people will also delight in the Fourth landing on a Friday and the resulting long weekend.

Of course, the Fourth of July means much more to Americans. It’s the birthday of the nation.

On July 4, 1776, the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. The document was read aloud on July 8 to wild cheers and bands playing. The yoke of British rule was symbolically thrown off, though the Revolutionary War continued until 1783.

When the Declaration of Independence was read in other cities, Americans cheered as they did in Philadelphia. After the war, in Boston, July 4 became the holiday that replaced March 5 as the remembrance of the Boston Massacre.

It took until 1941 for July 4, often called Independence Day, to become an official holiday.

According to factmonster.com, “The Declaration of Independence itself has become one of the most admired and copied political documents of all time. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and revised by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Jefferson.

“The Declaration of Independence is a justification of the American Revolution, citing grievances against King George III. It is also a landmark philosophical statement, drawing on the writings of philosophers John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. It affirms that since all people are creatures of God, or nature, they have certain natural rights, or liberties, that cannot be violated.

“The Declaration and the American Revolution have since inspired freedom-seekers the around the world.”

The nation was born in revolution and in the ensuing 232 years, America has had to enter wars to preserve that independence. Today, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, launched after Sept. 11, 2001, to protect America from terrorists, are still raging.

What was forged on this day so long ago has been a model for nations around the world. The democratic ideal and the rejection of colonial tyranny have been an inspiration to people everywhere seeking political freedom.

The United States has led the way, often at the cost of blood and treasure, because the Founding Fathers believed in the integrity and autonomy of individuals exercising freedom. Most of the world didn’t share those beliefs.

As the Declaration of Independence says, “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 powers from the consent of the governed.”

As we go through the day, it would do us well to remember the long-ago events and the foundation that was put in place for the freedoms we enjoy. That foundation is not to be taken lightly or for granted. Every generation must preserve and defend it.

Happy Fourth of July. The legacy you celebrate is unique to the world.