A recent news story revealed a surprising discovery. The British have another original copy of the Declaration of Independence. This copy, one of only 200 that were initially printed, brings to 26 the number of copies in the world today.
It was found, sensibly enough, by an American doing research in the British National Archives in London. It had been hidden among correspondence of the colonists that had been captured by the British during the Revolutionary War.

It’s somehow fitting that this discovery was made shortly before the celebration of American Independence Day on July 4th.  Now you might expect that the British aren’t very happy about our July 4th celebrations, and this may be true for some Brits. But a couple of years ago my wife and I found ourselves in London on July 4th, and we were surprised to find we were not tarred and feathered and chased out of town for being Americans. (Photo: The Black Lion pub in the center of this photo)

In fact, quite the contrary was true. I’ve shared the following story on my blog before, but it’s worth retelling today. On July 4, 2007, my wife and I had supper at The Black Lion, a typical pub just to the north of Kensington Gardens in London. Before we entered the pub, I wondered if I’d end up getting punched by some American-hating Britisher who’d had too many pints of ale. But when we entered The Black Lion, we found an unexpected scene. The whole place was decorated for American Independence Day, complete with red, white, and blue balloons, American flags, a blow-up Statue of Liberty, and a large sign welcoming American visitors and congratulating us on the occasion of our national holiday. Wow! What a happy surprise on the Fourth of July! (Photo: Inside the Black Lion)

So, no matter your nationality, may you have a happy fourth of July!