Only in America.

Embodied in those three words is perhaps the essence of an idea that’s soon to be 250 years old.

You might remember that idea. Surely it was covered in a history class you may have - or soon will have - in school.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

On July 4, 1776, a group of men meeting in Philadelphia agreed on the wording of the Declaration of Independence, a document that’s arguably among the top three in history with works like Magna Carta and the Gutenberg Bible.

Its author, Thomas Jefferson, described the document as “an expression of the American mind.” He said its authority comes from the “harmonizing sentiment” of the day.

Thus, its status - along with the U.S. Constitution that came a few years later - as a “living” document.

It’s survived wars, disasters, attacks and just about everything else.

Suffragettes edited it to support their cause, contending that all men and women are created equal.

Prior to the Civil War, abolitionists referenced equality, saying the declaration only applied to free men. The conflict eventually brought slavery to an end.

In both cases, the sentiment of the day prevailed.

We’ve celebrated it in several diverse ways over the decades, as sentiment would dictate.

In 1826, the 50th anniversary of our independence, Philadelphia the celebration there was quiet and subdued. Newspapers decried the fact that Americans weren’t actively interested in festivities to honor their freedom.

Fifty years later, the sentiment of the day regarding the national centennial was more upbeat. Buildings and exhibits in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park took on a World’s Fair persona in 1876, featuring items from other nations and displays about the science of the day.

From Coal Country, philanthropist and railroad magnate Asa Packer was one of the commissioners of the event. His trains shuttled countless people from this region to witness the grandeur and excitement of the big city celebration.

In 1926, Philadelphia again was the focus, with events throughout the city and an extended observance in the area of what is now the site of the city’s sports complex.

Many of us still recall the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration, where tall ships visited New York and Boston and a special train filled with historical exhibits traversed the nation. The Phillies hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Veterans Stadium a few weeks later.

We watched as then President Gerald Ford spoke at a program at Independence Hall and two days later as Britain’s Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the City of Brotherly Love. The monarch rang the Bicentennial Bell, cast in the same English foundry as the Liberty Bell.

Our nation’s next big bash is just two years away.

The semiquincentennial celebration will take place in 2026 and planning is already underway.

Philadelphia will again be the center of some of its major events as the Keystone State was one of the 13 original colonies.

A grassroots organization, America250PA, is coordinating many events and hopes to share the spirit of the celebration across the state.

Already, schools in Carbon County have been part of the festivities. Keystone Classroom Initiative, a participating committee engaged and educated children about the importance of the holiday at the Penn-Kidder Campus of the Jim Thorpe Area School District.

And in Weissport, organizers planted a Liberty Tree in a borough park. Liberty Trees were usually places in a community where people gathered to air grievances, discuss issues or hold major events.

America250PA, through its Carbon County representative Kim Werley, is working to expand the project and get residents involved in once-in-a-lifetime events.

She can use any help anyone can offer. Reach her via email at mwerley@ptd.net.

Amid the division, discord and disunity we’re living in these days, this year’s observance of our nation’s independence might be more suited to that quiet, 50-year fete of 1826.

In the meantime, let’s work together in harmony toward a bigger, better bash for the 250th.

And have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

ED SOCHA | tneditor@tnonline.com

Ed Socha is a retired newspaper editor with more than 40 years’ experience in community journalism.

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.