9781422287453

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One of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence, currently on display at the Library of Congress. Although a five-member committee was charged with writing the dec- laration,Thomas Jefferson is recognized as the primary author of the document.

T he Netherlands is a tiny storybook country in Europe; a place where windmills still grind corn, tulips blossom in the fields, and dairies produce some of the world’s best-loved cheeses. But the country, which is also known as Holland, suf- fered through a bloody past. In the 1500s, Holland was under the rule of a Spanish prince who had little love for the Dutch people or their land. To the Dutch people, Prince Philip was a tyrant and they ached for freedom. In 1568, they rose up against Philip’s rule. Led by Prince William of Orange, the Dutch fought against the Spanish army. With the help of the powerful British navy, they succeeded in driving the Spaniards out of Holland in 1588. The Words of Thomas Jefferson

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