Two hundred fifty years ago, the strong, determined people who called the original 13 colonies home stood ready to fight for the free nation they knew they deserved. No longer complacent with rule by a monarchy 4,000 miles overseas, they went to war, asserted independence, and set forth the blueprint for a United States of America where people could live and thrive in a sovereign new land of opportunity.
July 4, 1776, the day the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, became America’s birthday. Over the past two and a half centuries, the day has evolved as a time to commemorate what being American means. Today, many of us celebrate this land we love with those we love, hosting and attending festivities from barbeques, beach parties, and parades to formal concerts and fireworks from sea to sea.
There’s more to the Fourth of July than just hailing the day our democracy was born, though. Amid the revelry, we must honor and understand the strength and sacrifice it took — and continues to take — to preserve the freedom that allows us to fire up those grills and set off those firecrackers. Additionally, we must pay tribute to the resilient, tenacious visionaries who knew what the new nation could be and offer and who understood how fundamental principles of what is right and good could be the cornerstone for a country that would continue to stay strong, grow, and go forward for centuries to come.
|
|
|
Colors of Freedom. The Red, White, and Blue flies high at Hancock Whitney Plaza corporate headquarters, saluting the people, service, and sacrifice that have kept America free. |
Those resolute early patriots were much like the strong, resilient people in the places Hancock Whitney calls home today. They, too, worked hard, gave and did without reserve, came together in good times, and stood strong together in tough times. Most important, they collectively embraced core values central to success for individuals, families, and communities — ideals that define our American Gulf South way of life.
This July 4, we at Hancock Whitney join other Americans in commemorating 249 years since those strong, determined people first pronounced their independence. We salute with gratitude and pride the Star-Spangled Banner that flies in reverence for and memory of the countless individuals and their families whose service and sacrifice have protected and continue to safeguard the basic liberties of our land of the free. Much like the core values that guide how our Hancock Whitney team helps people achieve their dreams, those principles remain paramount to our rights and our responsibilities as Americans.
From our Hancock Whitney family to you and those whom you care about most, we wish you a happy, safe Fourth of July celebrating all the bright things that make America beautiful. May God continue to bless America!