Parks Plan Major Events 

Celebrating the 225th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

225 years ago, on July 4, 1776, 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence, an open act of treason against the British crown. This bold act, combined with the American successes in Revolutionary War battles such as Guilford Courthouse marked the birth of the United States of America.

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park and Tannenbaum Historic Park will be commemorating this special anniversary with a series of special events the week of July 1-4.

New "wayside" or outdoor exhibits on colonial Guilford County and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse will premiere at both parks. At Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, the new film "Another Such Victory" and new exhibits in the visitor center will open on Sunday, July 1.

Visitors to the National Military Park can enjoy patriotic and military music at 1, 4, 5:30 and 7 pm with the Carolina Legion, the 11th NC Brass band, the Greensboro Concert Band and the 440th Army Band. At Tannenbaum Historic Park, Girl Scout Troop #64 will host colonial games and a scavenger hunt for children.

An 11 am on Monday, July 2, a ceremony will celebrate the designation of the lands of Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, Tannenbaum Historic Park, Greensboro Country Park and surrounding residential areas as a National Landmark. Tannenbaum Historic Park will host an outdoor concert of Colonial Music by Ken Bloom at 7 pm.

Visitors to the National Park on the evening of Tuesday, July 3 can enjoy a concert with the Miller and Rowe Consort at 7 pm. Earlier that day, at 11 am, the National Park will rededicate the Joseph Winston Monument.

On July 4, the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the parks will celebrate The Spirit of America with activities and programs that span the 18th through the 20th centuries. A ceremony at 1 pm will honor the North Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence and the significance of the 1781 battle to the creation of the United States. The ceremony will include a wreath laying, artillery salute, the Florence Elementary Children’s Choir, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, a performance by the Guilford Courthouse Fife and Drums, a "Parade of Flags", and free goodies for kids.

Visitors to both sites are invited to sign copies of the Declaration of Independence throughout the day.

At Tannenbaum, Jim Langer will present Greensboro lawyer William Lafayette Scott's 1848 Fourth of July speech at 2 pm. From 10 am to 4:30 pm, there will be special activities for children including rolling their own mock musket cartridges, a scavenger hunt and playing colonial games. Also, children can have a free "Colonial Caricature" drawn artist by Rick Talbert.

Both sites will also showcase colonial dance and music from our Nation's history from 11 am to 1 pm and from 3 to 5 pm. Performers include The Butter Beans, the Guilford Courthouse Fife & Drums, the Grandfather Mountain pipes and Drums, The Florence Elementary Children's Choir, Mappamundi, the Greensboro Show choir and Corda String Quartet. There will also be American and British reenactors, including members of the 6th North Carolina, the Guilford Militia and other local units, camping and teaching about military life and service throughout the day at both sites.

The signers of the Declaration of Independence were courageous and far-sighted men, who pledged "their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor" in support of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America. Three of the representative members of this revolutionary Congress were from North Carolina: William Hooper, John Penn & Joseph Hewes. They represented North Carolina, but their accumulated experience also enabled them to foresee America in a broader, national context.

In 1894, the remains of Hooper and Penn were removed to Guilford Courthouse by the Guilford Battle Ground Company, the organization that began the preservation of this battlefield in 1887. The remains of Hewes, who was buried in an unmarked grave, could not be located.

This commemoration of the 225th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is an invitation to all citizens to celebrate the spirit of America, and the principles of liberty and equality for all people.