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Freedom’s heartbeat is the courage to gather and be heard.
On this eighth day of our journey through the bedrock rights our Founding Fathers secured for us, we lift up a freedom that makes all the others possible: the right to come together, speak up, and demand change.

Few understood this power better than Roger Sherman — a name most people don’t know, but should. Sherman holds a unique place in American history: he’s the only person to sign all four of our nation’s founding documents — the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.

Through all of these, one thing stayed clear to him: free people must be free to gather, protest, and petition their government — or tyranny will return through the back door.

A Humble Giant

Roger Sherman wasn’t born into fame or fortune. He was a self-taught lawyer, a shoemaker by trade, and an unlikely statesman. But his steady wisdom and deep sense of justice made him indispensable at every pivotal moment in America’s birth.

He didn’t stir crowds like Patrick Henry or pen immortal lines like Jefferson. Instead, he forged compromises and fought to make sure everyday people could speak up — together.

When We Gather, We Are Strong

The Founders knew that silence is a tyrant’s best friend. Under British rule, meetings were broken up, protestors were jailed, and petitions were ignored. That’s why, when they wrote the First Amendment, they didn’t just protect free speech — they protected the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.

In plain terms: if your leaders fail you, you have the right to stand together and demand better.

It’s why the Boston Tea Party happened. It’s why colonists gathered in town halls and churches to share ideas and rally courage. And it’s why Sherman worked tirelessly to bake this right into our nation’s DNA.

Still Ours to Claim

Today, this right is alive every time people march down main street holding signs. It’s alive when neighbors pack a city council meeting to stop a bad decision. It’s alive when we sign petitions, write letters, or peacefully protest for causes we believe in.

It doesn’t matter what side of an issue you’re on — the right to assemble and petition belongs to everyone. Lose it, and you lose your voice.

What Sherman Would Tell Us Now

Sherman knew that freedom of assembly doesn’t mean chaos — it means ordinary people have extraordinary power when they stand together. He would remind us that gathering peacefully, debating ideas, and holding leaders accountable is how free societies fix what’s broken without resorting to violence or oppression.

His life tells us that change doesn’t always come from the famous or the powerful — but from humble citizens who refuse to sit down and stay quiet.

A Call for Today

This Independence Day, think of Roger Sherman — the shoemaker who helped craft a nation by believing that when people stand shoulder to shoulder, no king or government can silence them for long.

Ask yourself: Am I using my voice? Am I standing with my neighbors when it matters? Am I showing my kids how to speak up for what’s right?

When you sign your name to a petition, show up at a rally, or gather with friends to pray, plan, or push for change — you honor the freedom Sherman protected for you.

Freedom is fragile when we stand alone — but it’s unstoppable when we stand together.

Tomorrow, on Day 9, we’ll honor Benjamin Rush — the passionate doctor and abolitionist — and the timeless right to equality under the law for every American.

To our freedom,

Matt

P.S. Remember Psalm 146:3-5