4th of July -- Library Closed

The Sullivan Family library will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2019 in observance of the 4th of July holiday. We will re-open on Friday, July 5, 2019 at 9 am.

Independence Day, or the "4th of July" as it is colloquially known, is celebrated annually on the 4th day of July to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the acknowledgement that the original 13 American colonies were no longer subject to British rule.

The Declaration of Independence underwent multiple revisions until it was agreed upon and signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by representatives from the 13 newly sovereign states. There were 56 signatures on the Declaration of Independence -- two men who signed the document, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, went on to become Presidents of the United States of America.

Below is a list of selected materials related to the 4th of July, the Declaration of Independence, and American history of the time for you to enjoy:

Thomas, Jefferson. (2018). America's founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the United States Constitution, the Federalist papers, and the Bill of Rights. Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue Editions.

These important documents set the foundation for which the United States was built and now you can read each of these documents written by Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. This collection features unabridged versions of the five most famous and influential documents that founded our nation.


Kersh, Rogan. (2001). Dreams of a more perfect union. [electronic resource]Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

With its fascinating and novel approach, Dreams of a More Perfect Union offers valuable insights about American political history, especially the rise of nationalism and federalism. Equally important, the author's close retracing of the religious, institutional, and other themes coloring the development of unionist thought unveils new knowledge about the origination and transmittal of ideas in a polity. - from book description

Purcell, Sarah J. (2010). Sealed with blood: war, sacrifice, and memory in Revolutionary America. [electronic resource] Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Sealed with Blood reveals how public memories & commemorations of Revolutionary War heroes helped Americans form a common bond and create a new national identity. Drawing from extensive research on civic celebrations and commemorative literature that followed the War for Independence, Purcell shows how people invoked memories of their participation in and sacrifices during the war when they wanted to shore up their political interests, make money, argue for racial equality, solidify their class status, or protect their personal reputations. - from book description

Sandefur, Timothy. (2014). The conscience of the constitution : the declaration of independence and the right to liberty. [electronic resource] Washington, D.C.: CATO Institute.

Today, more and more Americans are realizing that their individual freedoms are being threatened by the ever-expanding scope of the government. Americans have always differed over important political issues, but some things should not be settled by majority vote. In The Conscience of the Constitution, Timothy Sandefur presents a dramatic new challenge to the status quo of constitutional law. - from book description

Haulman, Kate. (2011). The politics of fashion in eighteenth-century America. [electronic resource] Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press.

Haulman shows that the elite in cities relied on fashion to present their status and attempted to undercut its ability to do so for others. Disdain for others' fashionability was a means of safeguarding social position in cities where the modes of dress were particularly fluid. Concerns over gendered power expressed through fashion in dress, Haulman reveals, shaped the revolutionary-era struggles of the 1760s and 1770s, influenced national political debates, and helped to secure the exclusions of the new political order. - from book description