This week the Learning Explosion traveled to Philadelphia -- the birthplace of the United States of America. As you walk through the doors of Independence Hall, you realize that this is where the founding fathers learned -- and taught -- some of the hardest lessons in human history.
This is where they wrote the Declaration of Independence -- a document that began a movement to free these early settlers from the unjust restraints of the King of England. In the square behind the building is where they read the Declaration to the people for the first time.
Trying to imagine what this must have been like, I pulled out my iPhone, searched for, found and read this document to myself. It was a surreal experience. This was the exact spot where this text was written 235 years ago by a quill on parchment and then read to people out loud so they could learn. One of these people included Benjamin Franklin -- the father of electricity. Today I sit in the same place, reading the same document on an electronic device. (I think he'd be quite impressed at our progress with his discovery!)
If you haven't read the Declaration of Independence in a while, I recommend it this weekend as citizens of the U.S. celebrate the birth of their country. You can view the full text here: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/ As you read it, you'll learn something you never knew before, or something you'd forgotten. When you find it, post a comment and let us know.
You can also learn about the Declaration at Qwiki.com:
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