Happy 236th birthday America, with many happy returns of this day! As an American, it never ceases to amaze me how our forefathers risked so much for our liberties and our freedom. The majority of them lost their homes and many their lives to win the independence we treasure so dearly today. At the time, the United Colonies of America were the first dependent territory in the history of the world to break away successfully from a parent nation.It is also remarkable that all 13 individual colonies agreed to pass the legislation to declare their independence from Britain. It was the only time that a unanimous vote of agreement in Congress was required for legislation to pass. The President of the 2nd Continental Congress, John Hancock, insisted upon this and what emerged was an incredible negotiation process between the North and South, between old and young, and between supporters of independence and those who still harboured in their hearts rapprochement with Britain. They were able to reconcile because of their vision for creating a nation based on a representative government with protected individual freedoms and rights.Our Founding Fathers envisioned a self-governing America with all citizens free forever. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the second and third presidents of the United States, saw the Independence Day celebration as an opportunity for Americans to rededicate themselves to the principles of freedom and opportunity. John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife Abigail, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnised with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”The Fourth of July is a glorious and always memorable day of fun and friendship. Annually, Americans gather with friends and family on the Fourth of July to celebrate the values that inspired the founders of our nation. The Declaration of Independence affirms that “we are all endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pointed out, “These freedoms are not unique to Americans. They are embodied in one form or another in the constitutions of many nations and observed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights … Today (July 4th) is a celebration of our common humanity.”I am delighted to mark Independence Day with the thousands of Americans resident on the Island and also with our Bermudian neighbours. We share the same language and values, with Bermuda also enshrining the rights to life, liberty and security in its constitution. Today is an opportunity to bring Americans and Bermudians together in a friendship that has been tested and strengthened over the centuries and to rejoice in our shared freedoms. I hope that your celebrations will be just as John Adams hoped.Grace W. Shelton is the US Consul General to Bermuda.