WHEREAS, the American Revolution was a time of radical change when passionate activists, unafraid of challenging the established order, led a revolution that would change the world; and

WHEREAS, the American Revolution was more than a war; it was a revolution of ideas that combined the rational thought of the Enlightenment, a belief in the natural rights of man, and the New World experience; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of thousands of Americans were excluded from the Declaration of Independence's promise of equality, participation in government as delineated in the Constitution, and the protections defined in the Bill of Rights; yet, throughout American history, these documents have given legitimacy to disenfranchised, subjugated, and disempowered groups as they have claimed and fought for their rights as Americans; and

WHEREAS, the Revolutionary experiment continues, and the story of America is one of continually finding common ground to create something better; and

WHEREAS, Virginia's history is and has always been uniquely interwoven with that of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is uniquely positioned to bring the past and present together by telling the whole story of the American Revolution and its legacy; and

WHEREAS, RevolutionaryVA250, a coalition of nonprofit history organizations, including the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, Colonial National Historical Park, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Gunston Hall, Monticello, Montpelier, George Washington's Mount Vernon, and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, as well as other organizations such as the American Battlefield Trust, is working diligently under the coordination of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture to conduct the important work of planning the Commonwealth's commemoration of this historic anniversary; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That RevolutionaryVA250 hereby be commended on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to RevolutionaryVA250 as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the organization's important work to preserve and promote the history and heritage of the Commonwealth and the nation.