Page 110 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2026

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Nearly 40 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Francis Scott Key penned the most sacred description of the United States of America—land of the free
and home of the brave. These words are recognized in every
land around the world as the definition of what it means to be an American. Two hundred and fifty years later we celebrate this great nation, our freedoms, and the fundamental commitment to bravely defend her ideals.
The men whose signatures appear on the Declaration of Independence yearned for the freedom to self-govern, to separate themselves from destructive rule, and to claim the “unalienable rights” to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. They bravely stepped up to pledge their loyalties to a new nation and to one another.
The last sentence of the cherished document says, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection
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of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” The words underscored the transcendence of the principles to which they gave their solemn vow. They knew the simple act of signing their names to the parchment, might lead to their own deaths for treason should the new independent colonies fail to defend their rights to be free.
Copies of the Declaration of Independence were made to be distributed to the colonies. A printer in Baltimore, Maryland, accepted the risk of the task. Mary Katherine Goddard, who ran her family’s print shop, added her name to the bottom
of the document. Under normal circumstances, “Printed by
MK Goddard” would suffice, but for this fateful occasion she courageously printed her full name. Fifty-six men and one woman boldly stamped their names into history.
Freedom comes with a price. It is privilege protected by those www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
story by Holly Harrison and Shannon Stage