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AMERICAN FREEDOMS COMPACT PROGRAM

Student's Name________________________________  School________________________  Grade  _Fourth   

CHARACTER ATTRIBUTE: PATRIOTISM

Democratic Principle No. 5: Each person has the right to personal liberties.

Students' Concept of the Principle: We believe the United States Constitution provides us the right to personal liberties, that these liberties require freedoms responsibilities and that such responsibilities can be shown by outward respect, love and appreciation for our country.

CLASS COMMITMENT MOTTO:

We believe that patriotism can best be shown by acts of respect for our country and through obedience to its ideals and laws.

MY PLEDGE FOR FREEDOM:

I will learn the Pledge of Allegiance and repeat it silently or aloud when saluting the flag on all occasions.

MY FREEDOMS COMPACT GOALS:

I will...          1.  Fly the flag at our home on all State and National holidays.
                   2.  Encourage our next door neighbors to fly the flag on all holidays.
                   3.  Show appreciation for my personal freedom by obeying the laws of my school, community and State that apply to me. 

MY FREEDOMS COMPACT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

                   1.  I flew the flag at our home on all State and National holidays since November.
                   2.  One of my neighbors has bought a flag and flies it at his home on holidays.
                   3.  So far as I know I have obeyed the laws. 


YOUNG AMERICAN FREEDOMS GUILD
Compact Goal for Fourth Grade "Patriotism"
Story

(Patriotism)

Patriotism is shown by the love, respect and loyalty which persons give their country. All individuals, past and present, living in America have had or do now have the opportunity to show patriotism.

In 1605 a young orphan boy, William Bradford, came to the little town of Scrooby, England, to live with his uncles. He became a close friend of William Brewster, the local postmaster. These two, and some other associates were the Pilgrims who came to American on the Mayflower in 1620. Forty-one of the Pilgrim fathers signed the famous Mayflower Compact which was the first constitution ever written by and for a free people for their governance.

William Bradford was one of the leaders who wrote the compact and one of the first to sign it. For 30 years he was Governor of the Plymouth Colony and held firm in his belief that the early Colonists in America should be a free people and not subject to the tyrannies inflicted upon them by British rulers. He was a pioneer in this belief and these concepts grew and permeated the beliefs of others that eventually led to the Declaration of Independence. Some of the concepts in the Mayflower Compact and procedures of its signers carried over into the planning and writings of the Declaration of Independence.

In the early 1770's patriot leaders of the early colonies both in the North and in the South decided it was necessary to declare independence from England. In a famous speech made in Virginia in 1775, Patrick Henry said, "I am not a Virginian but an American. I know not what course others may take; but as for me give me liberty or give me death."

At a Continental Congress held in Independence Hall in Philadelphia in May 1776, Thomas Jefferson was delegated to write a statement indicating a desire to withdraw from England. On July 4, 1776, the Congress met again and adopted the Declaration of Independence as drawn up by Jefferson. The concepts of this declaration angered the British. This eventually led to the Revolutionary War and the adoption of the Constitution of the United States.

These writers and supporters of the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States were indeed Patriots and their patriotism led to the rights of religion and liberty, justice and law equality which we enjoy today.

We, too, can show our patriotism for our country by living up to the freedoms involved in carrying out desirable personal behavior. Those who do, are indeed 20th Century patriots. We show our patriotism when we salute the flag, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and obey the laws of our country.

 

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