Two hundred and fifty years ago, in the sweltering heat of a Philadelphia summer, a small group of men did something without precedent in modern history. They gathered, argued, deliberated, and then signed their names to a declaration that was a declaration of war against the mightiest empire on earth. They did so knowing that, if they failed, they would almost certainly hang.

We mark that moment today as citizens of nations that were themselves shaped, directly or indirectly, by the audacity of what was proclaimed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.

The document they produced was remarkable in its language as much as in its courage. Its opening announced a philosophy of government that was revolutionary, challenging the authority of King George III and the British political establishment.