First annual Liberty Day observance held at local schools

Monday, Sparta and Glade Creek schools fourth- through eighth-grade students were able to participate in Liberty Day, a day that has been recognized in schools throughout the state for several years, according to Sparta Principal Susan Murphy.

Recognition of Liberty Day, celebrated March 16, was postponed in the county due to inclement weather last week.

As of presstime Tuesday, a date for the event at Piney Creek School had not been rescheduled. The event is sponsored by the Lions Club. Sparta Lion Ed Adams addressed the students at Sparta School, speaking about the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

He said March 16 marked the 254th anniversary of the birth of James Madison, known for being the fourth president of the United States, as well the scriber of the constitution.

“He transposed the thoughts of the delegates of the constitution into the written word and he wrote the constitution,” Adams explained. Adams asked the audience to ponder what life was like in 1787.

“How long did it take to get a letter from New York to London in 1787 and how was it transmitted?” He asked. “By ship and with the best of wind conditions, it took at least a month to get a letter across the Atlantic.”

Adams then noted that the colonies had been established for more than 100 years at this time.

“During that time, they established their own ideas of how the goverment does. However, George III was the king of England and he asserted his right to rule the colonies.”

He noted that at the time, the people in France, Britain, Spain and Russia were being ruled by monarchs.

“Where did they get the right to rule?” Adams asked rhetorically. “The divine rite of kings. That is, they contended that God had put them on the throne and given them the right to rule. They also contended that commoners didn’t know what was best for them and only the educated class, the upper class, and the king had any right to make governmental decisions.”

Adams asked the members of the audience to note the phrases in the Declaration of Independence noting that “all men were created equal” and had the right to engage in the “pursuit of happiness.”

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