1776 - Declaration of Independance America's birth certificate The Declaration of Independence of 1776 has been called the birth certificate of the United States. Three of its 56 signatories as well as the man who produced the first printed version had been born in Ulster. Around 200,000 Ulster-Scots migrated to what became the United States of America during the 18th century, one being John Dunlap. Born in Strabane, County Tyrone, in 1747, he printed the first broadside copies of the Declaration of Independence. They were printed without the original signatures from the 56 signatories and placed in public areas to inform the public about the declaration. 200 Today he is most frequently recalled as the man who printed the Declaration of Independence (1776). This talk will aim to review his migration story. This presentation will introduce you to National Museums NI’s ongoing work to develop the narrative at the Ulster American Folk Park. If you're looking for a July Fourth celebration near you, dozens of options are available in the region, from parades to fireworks extravaganzas. OF the fifty-six members of the Continental Congress of 1776 who signed the Declaration of Independence, James Wilson of Pennsylvania and John Witherspoon of New Jersey were natives of Scotland. William Hooper of North Carolina, George Ross of Delaware, Thomas Nelson, Jr., of Virginia, and Philip Livingston of New York were of Scottish descent. Matthew Thornton of New Hampshire and James Smith The signatories of the 1776 Declaration of Independence included three men who had been born in Ulster: George Taylor, born in County Antrim, in 1716; James Smith, who emigrated to America as a boy around 1719; and Matthew Thornton, who was born in the Bann Valley straddling counties Antrim and Londonderry, around 1714. A new exhibition highlighting the role of the Ulster-Scots in the American Declaration of Independence has been opened by Joe Kennedy III at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast. Other Declaration signers John Hancock, William Whipple, Robert Paine and Thomas Nelson are also believed to have some links to Northern Ireland. Ian Crozier, of the Ulster-Scots Agency, said Ulster Presbyterian minister and teacher the REV FRANCIS ALLISON played a key role in shaping opinion on American independence and his pupils included three members of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia - Thomas McKean, Charles Thomson and Dublin-born George Read. ON THIS DAY in 1776, the US Declaration of Independence was signed – forever sealing July 4's place among the pantheon of iconic historical dates. Less well-known is the fact that three of its 56 signatories were born on the island of Ireland, with five more of Irish descent. The Belfast exhibit, which highlights the role of the Ulster-Scots in the US Declaration of Independence, was opened by US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs Joe Kennedy III on A new, free exhibition highlighting the role of the Ulster-Scots in the American Declaration of Independence. The exhibition, Ulster-Scots and the Declaration of Independence, is located on the ground floor of the building and has been brought about as a result of a partnership between the Ulster-Scots Agency and the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Running from 20 April – 24 July 2023 the exhibition is open to the public. Admission is FREE. Eight of the 56 signatories of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 were Scots-Irish - John Hancock, William Whipple, Robert Paine, Thomas McKean, Thomas Nelson, Matthew Thornton, George Taylor and Edward Rutledge. Several signatories of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were Scotch Irishmen from Ulster. In the early seventeenth century Ulster was settled by people from Britain In what is usually referred to as "the Plantation of Ulster." On 2 July 1776 the American Continental Congress voted for independence. Two days later on 4 July it published the Declaration of Independence. Representatives from all the American colonies had come to the congress in Philadelphia and the mood was defiant and confident. Ulster-Scots and the Declaration of Independence US and Dec of Ind BK4 AW.indd 1 17/12/09 12:16:20 Ulster-Scots and the Declaration of Independence Ulster-Scots and the Declaration of Independence The influence of Ulster-Scots Presbyterians was heavily stamped on the American Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776 and in the unfolding events which led to the establishment of the United The Ulster Scots left an indelible mark on America. They have helped shape the nation; at least five of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence had direct Ulster family connections. The Declaration itself was printed by an Ulster Scot, John Dunlap from Strabane in County Tyrone. The Declaration of Independence on display is of a type known as a Dunlap Broadside, which were the original declarations printed on 4th July 1776 for distribution across the 13 American Colonies. Of around 200 printed, there are only around two dozen surviving. It was first read in public by the son of an Ulster Scot, Colonel John Nixon. The historic Declaration contained sentiments closely identified with the aspirations of the Presbyterian immigrant stock from the north of Ireland who settled in the American colonies during the 18th century.
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