National Tartan Day 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Americans of Scottish descent have made enduring contributions to our Nation with their hard work, faith, and values. On National Tartan Day, we celebrate the spirit and character of Scottish Americans and recognize their many contributions to our culture and our way of life.

Scotland and the United States have long shared ties of family and friendship, and many of our country's most cherished customs and ideals first grew to maturity on Scotland's soil. The Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence signed in 1320, embodied the Scots' strong dedication to liberty, and the Scots brought that tradition of freedom with them to the New World. Sons and daughters of many Scottish clans were among the first immigrants to settle in America, and their determination and optimism helped build our Nation's character. Several of our Founding Fathers were of Scottish descent, as have been many Presidents and Justices of the United States Supreme Court. Many Scottish Americans, such as Andrew Carnegie, were great philanthropists, founding and supporting numerous scientific, educational, and civic institutions. From the evocative sounds of the bagpipes to the great sport of golf, the Scots have also left an indelible mark on American culture.

National Tartan Day is an opportunity to celebrate all Americans who claim Scottish ancestry, and we are especially grateful for the service in our Armed Forces of Scottish Americans who have answered the call to protect our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 6, 2008, as National Tartan Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day by celebrating the continued friendship between the people of Scotland and the United States and by recognizing the contributions of Scottish Americans to our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Go to the official White House Press Release.

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For Freedom Alone

It has been said that the men who drafted the American Declaration of Independence were mostly Presbyterians of Scottish ancestry. Thomas Jefferson was a descendant of Thomas Randolph, a blood nephew of King Robert the Bruce. Randolph had signed the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320. Almost half the signatories of the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent, and as US President Woodrow Wilson said, “every line of strength in American history is a line colored with Scottish blood”.

The Declaration of Arbroath, also known as Scotland’s Declaration of Independence, was the first formal declaration of independence by any nation and asserted Scotland’s right to self-government and to be free of England’s dominion. The American Declaration of Independence was our formal declaration asserting our right to self-government and freedom from England’s dominion.

A comparison of the language of the two documents shows the influence of the Scottish Declaration upon the American Declaration:

Declaration of Independence
All men are created equal
Declaration of Arbroath
…nor distinction of Jew or Greek, Scots or English

Declaration of Independence
…certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty
Declaration of Arbroath
We fight for liberty alone which no good man loses but with his life

Declaration of Independence
We mutually pledge…our lives
Declaration of Arbroath
We will maintain even to the death

Declaration of Independence
The history of the present King of Great Britain in a history of repeated injuries
Death
Desolation
He has sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people
He has plundered our seas…burnt our towns
Declaration of Arbroath
The mighty King of the English …perpetrated…injuries
Slaughters
Deeds of violence
In most unfriendly wise harassed our Kingdom
Plunderings, burnings

Declaration of Independence
That these United Colonies are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown
Declaration of Arbroath
For so long as a hundred remain alive, we never will in any degree be subject to the dominion of the English

Our Constitution shares language with another important Scottish document; the National Covenant, drawn up in Edinburgh in 1638:

US Constitution
We…Do…Solemnly…Declare
National Covenant
We…Do…Solemnly Declare

US Constitution
…usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute tyranny
National Covenant
…usurped authority of…all his tyrannous laws

US Constitution
That these United Colonies are and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States
National Covenant
That the aforesaid Confessions are to be interpreted and ought to be understood

US Constitution
We mutually pledge to each other
National Covenant
To the mutual defence and assistance every one of us of another

US Constitution
Our live, our Fortunes
National Covenant
With our means and lives

Certain conclusions may be drawn:

Scotland was the first country to declare independence. This declaration stated clearly the principles of equality under the law, the obligation to defend liberty with life, and the right of the people to change an unjust government. All of this in a document written 456 years before 1776.
Our forefathers who drafted the American Declaration of Independence drew heavily upon the tenets of Scottish philosophy as it applied to the theory and practical application of government.

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