PRINTER'S NO. 4121
No. 837 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY CURRY, BEYER, BOYD, CALTAGIRONE, CLYMER,
CREIGHTON, CUTLER, DALEY, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, EVERETT,
FLECK, FRANKEL, GEIST, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, GOODMAN,
GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARPER, HELM, HERSHEY, JAMES, LENTZ,
MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANN, MANTZ, McGEEHAN, MELIO, MILLARD,
MUSTIO, NAILOR, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYNE, PHILLIPS,
QUINN, RAMALEY, READSHAW, REED, REICHLEY, ROCK, ROEBUCK,
ROSS, RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, SIPTROTH,
STABACK, SWANGER, R. TAYLOR, THOMAS, VULAKOVICH, WOJNAROSKI,
YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK, JUNE 30, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JUNE 30, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Reiterating the importance of the Revolutionary War, observing
2 September 3, 2008, as the 225th anniversary of the signing of
3 the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War,
4 reaffirming our friendship with France, Spain and Great
5 Britain and recognizing the civic endeavors of the
6 Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
7 WHEREAS, When daylight broke on the Lexington Green on April
8 19, 1775, "the shot heard round the world" was fired as British
9 soldiers and American patriots clashed and sparked the war of
10 American Independence; and
11 WHEREAS, Delegates to the Second Continental Congress
12 declared on July 4, 1776, that "these colonies are, and of Right
13 ought to be Free and Independent States" and in support of that
14 declaration mutually pledged to each other their lives, their
15 fortunes and their sacred honor; and
1 WHEREAS, General George Washington led an army of American
2 patriots who lacked everything but courage, shouldered every
3 burden and adversity and persevered for eight long years in
4 battle against the British Monarchy to secure blessings of
5 liberty for themselves and posterity; and
6 WHEREAS, The Colonials' struggle for liberty was rescued
7 often by the largesse of France's King Louis XVI and Spain's
8 King Carlos III and served by the daring of Europe's elite
9 military officers, including Lafayette, Rochambeau, von Stuben,
10 Pulaski and Galvez; and
11 WHEREAS, The surrender of British forces under the command of
12 General Lord John Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown on
13 October 19, 1781, to the allied forces under the command of
14 General Washington and General Comte de Rochambeau, set the
15 stage for peace initiatives abroad; and
16 WHEREAS, Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and
17 John Jay to represent the United States, and David Hartley was
18 appointed by Great Britain's King George III to negotiate terms
19 for peace; and
20 WHEREAS, On September 3, 1783, the peace commissioners of the
21 United States and Great Britain signed a Treaty of Peace in
22 Paris which recognized American independence and boundaries and
23 declared the intention of both parties to "forget all past
24 misunderstandings and differences" and "secure to both perpetual
25 peace and harmony"; and
26 WHEREAS, Great Britain also signed peace treaties in Paris on
27 September 3, 1783, with France and Spain and provisionally with
28 the Netherlands, to bring a cessation of hostilities between the
29 nations; therefore be it
30 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commemorate the
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1 225th anniversary of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 2008;
2 and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
4 enduring friendship between the United States and its first
5 allies, France and Spain; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That September 3, 2008, marks the 225th anniversary
7 of relations between the United States and Great Britain and
8 reaffirms the deep friendship that has developed between our two
9 countries since the signing of the Treaty of Paris; and be it
10 further
11 RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the House of
12 Representatives prepare a copy of this resolution for
13 presentation to the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the
14 American Revolution as an expression of the House of
15 Representatives' appreciation for this organization's efforts to
16 promote patriotism and educate citizens about the achievements
17 and sacrifices of the patriots of the American Revolution.
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