"We hold these truths - July 4, 1776” T-shirt
Update January 10: We are out of this shirt in some colors and sizes. We are having more printed and expect to have them back in stock by early February.
If we are out of your size, sign up on the form above to be the first to be notified when we have them back in stock.
Our original design, celebrating July 4th and our nation's Declaration of Independence.
All shirts have the same design on the front: "1776" and our nation's first flag,
Back: The white, the light blue heather, and the silver have this text on the back, which is taken from the original vellum copy that the delegates signed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness — July 4, 1776."
This design is also available in a 100% cotton made in USA long-sleeved shirt.
If you are looking for this shirt with the front print only and blank on the back, we have the "1776 with Our Nation's First Flag" shirt in antique denim as well as in a crewneck sweatshirt in charcoal, light heather grey v-neck shirt and a grey tank top for women.
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White - 100% cotton Made in the USA shirt — Grown, knitted, dyed, and sewn in the USA. 5.4 oz. Your best choice if you're looking for a 100% Made in the USA shirt. Sizes S - 6X. With "1776" on the front and on the front and back. Wash in cold water to ensure that the colors don't run. See size chart.
Care: Wash white shirts in cold so that the colors don't run. - Light blue heather and silver - Our standard 4.3 oz. poly-cotton shirt that gets rave reviews. Our softest shirt. It's also our thinnest and lightest. It is very high-quality and long-wearing, but it is thin and light. Lots of people love them, which you can see in the reviews, but if you judge t-shirt quality based on weight or thickness, do not get this one. Instead, get the 100% cotton shirt above. Sizes XS - 3X. Note that "silver" is really more of a pewter color. See size chart.
- Also available on a dry-fit style long-sleeved moisture-wicking 100% polyester interlock shirt with SPF 40+ UV protection.
Note that the $3 price difference for the 100% cotton Made in the USA shirt is our higher wholesale cost; there is no additional margin.
You can also find this design on a static cling, vinyl decal, and boxed notecards with envelope.
Shipping: $4.95, regardless of the number of shirts you order, so order one and all the rest ship for free.
Mission: Your purchases support our mission to engage people with local history and to support historic sites and history organizations across the country.
About the flag
By the end of 1775, during the first year of the American Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress operated as a de facto war government authorizing the creation of an Army, a Navy and even a small Marine Corps. A new flag was needed to represent the Congress and fledgling nation, initially the United Colonies, with a banner distinct from the British Red Ensign flown from civilian and merchant vessels, the White Ensign of theBritish Royal Navy, and the British Union flags carried by the British Army's men on land. Individual states had been using their own independent flags with Massachusetts using the Taunton Flag and New York using the George Rex Flag prior to the adoption of the Grand Union Flag.
The U.S. colonists' (Continental Colour) was first hoisted on the colonial warship Alfred, in the harbor on the western shore of the Delaware River at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 3, 1775, by newly-appointed Lieutenant John Paul Jones of the formative Continental Navy. The event had been documented in letters to Congress and eyewitness accounts. The flag was used by the U.S. Continental Army forces as both a naval ensign and garrison flag throughout 1776 and early 1777.
It is not known for certain when or by whom the design of the Continental Colors was created, but the flag could easily be produced by sewing white stripes onto the British Red Ensigns. The "Alfred" flag has been credited to Margaret Manny.
It was widely believed that the flag was raised by George Washington's Army on New Year's Day, 1776, at Prospect Hill in Charlestown (now part of Somerville), near his headquarters at Cambridge, Massachusetts, (across the Charles River to the north from Boston), which was then surrounding and laying siege to the British forces then occupying the city, and that the flag was interpreted by British military observers in the city under commanding General Thomas Gage, as a sign of surrender.[5] Some scholars dispute the traditional account and conclude that the flag raised at Prospect Hill was probably a British union flag.
The name "Grand Union" is contemporary to Reconstruction-era historians and was first applied to the Continental Colors by George Henry Preble, in his 1872 History of the American Flag.
Source: Wikipedia.
The hang tag that accompanies the shirt includes a lengthy quote from John Adams, writing from Philadelphia on July 3
" . . . the Delay of this Declaration to this Time, has many great Advantages attending it. — The Hopes of Reconciliation, which were fondly entertained by Multitudes of honest and well meaning tho weak and mistaken People, have been gradually and at last totally extinguished. — Time has been given for the whole People, maturely to consider the great Question of Independence and to ripen their judgments, dissipate their Fears, and allure their Hopes, by discussing it in News Papers and Pamphletts, by debating it, in Assemblies, Conventions, Committees of Safety and Inspection, in Town and County Meetings, as well as in private Conversations, so that the whole People in every Colony of the 13, have now adopted it, as their own Act. — This will cement the Union, and avoid those Heats and perhaps Convulsions which might have been occasioned, by such a Declaration Six Months ago."
The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."
Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776, from the archives of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Spelling in the original.
All shirt and hangtag designs and text are copyrighted by The History List, and the History Nerd text and design on t-shirts is a registered trademark. If you see a knock off, please let me know.
More from this collection
Size | Chest | Body Length | Sleeve Length |
---|---|---|---|
XS | 17 | 27 | 9 |
Small | 19 | 28 | 9.25 |
Medium | 20.5 | 29 | 9.5 |
Large | 22 | 30 | 9.75 |
XL | 23.5 | 31 | 10 |
2XL | 25 | 32 | 10.25 |
3XL | 28 | 33 | 10.5 |
4XL | 30 | 34 | 10.75 |
Measurement Notes:
Sleeve length measured from shoulder edge.
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Short-sleeves
Size | Chest | Body Length | Sleeve Length |
---|---|---|---|
Small | 38 | 28 | 9.25 |
Medium | 41 | 29 | 9.5 |
Large | 44 | 30 | 9.75 |
XL | 47 | 31 | 10 |
2XL | 50 | 32 | 10.25 |
3XL | 56 | 33 | 10.5 |
Long-sleeves
Size | Chest | Body Length |
---|---|---|
Small | 38 | 28 |
Medium | 41 | 29 |
Large | 44 | 30 |
XL | 48 | 31 |
2XL | 52 | 32 |
Measurement Notes:
Sleeve length measured from shoulder edge.
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Size | Chest | Body Length | Sleeve Length |
---|---|---|---|
Small | 20 | 26.5 | 24.38 |
Medium | 22 | 27.5 | 24.63 |
Large | 24 | 28.5 | 24.25 |
XL | 26 | 29.5 | 24 |
2XL | 28 | 30 | 23.75 |
3XL | 30 | 30.5 | 23.5 |
Measurement Notes:
Sleeve length measured from shoulder edge.
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Size | Chest | Body Length | Sleeve Length |
---|---|---|---|
Small | 15.75 | 26.5 | 6.38 |
Medium | 16.75 | 27 | 6.63 |
Large | 17.75 | 27.5 | 6.88 |
XL | 19.25 | 28 | 7.13 |
2XL | 20.75 | 28.5 | 7.38 |
Measurement Notes:
Sleeve length measured from shoulder edge.
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Size | Body Width | Body Length |
---|---|---|
XS | 15.6 | 26.5 |
Small | 16.1 | 26.75 |
Medium | 17.25 | 27.25 |
Large | 18.38 | 27.88 |
XL | 19.88 | 28.5 |
2XL | 21.38 | 29.13 |
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Size | Chest | Body Length | Sleeve Length |
---|---|---|---|
Small | 19 | 28 | 9.25 |
Medium | 20.5 | 29 | 9.5 |
Large | 22 | 30 | 9.75 |
XL | 24 | 31 | 10 |
2XL | 26 | 32 | 10.25 |
3XL | 28 | 33 | 10.5 |
Measurement Notes:
Sleeve length measured from shoulder edge.
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Size | Chest | Body Length | Sleeve Length |
---|---|---|---|
XS | 14 | 19 | 6.5 |
Small | 15.5 | 20.5 | 6.75 |
Medium | 17 | 22 | 7 |
Large | 18.5 | 23.5 | 7.25 |
XL | 20 | 25 | 7.5 |
Measurement Notes:
Sleeve length measured from shoulder edge.
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Size | Chest | Body Length | Sleeve Length |
---|---|---|---|
Small | 18 | 28 | 8.13 |
Medium | 20 | 29 | 8.38 |
Large | 22 | 30 | 8.63 |
XL | 24 | 31 | 8.88 |
2XL | 26 | 33 | 9.63 |
3XL | 28 | 34 | 10.13 |
4XL | 30 | 35 | 10.63 |
5XL | 32 | 36 | 11.13 |
6XL | 34 | 37 | 9.75 |
Measurement Notes:
Sleeve length measured from shoulder edge.
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Size | Body Width | Body Length |
---|---|---|
XS | 12.5 | 23.5 |
Small | 13.5 | 24 |
Medium | 15.5 | 25 |
Large | 17.5 | 26 |
XL | 19.5 | 27 |
2XL | 21.5 | 28 |
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Size | Chest | Body Length | Sleeve Length |
---|---|---|---|
Small | 16.5 | 26.5 | 24.625 |
Medium | 17.5 | 27 | 25 |
Large | 18.5 | 27.5 | 25.375 |
XL | 20 | 28 | 25.75 |
2XL | 21.5 | 28.5 | 26.5 |
Measurement Notes:
Sleeve length measured from shoulder edge.
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.
Size | Chest | Body Length | Sleeve Length |
---|---|---|---|
XS | 11.5 | 19 | 3.75 |
Small | 12.5 | 20 | 4 |
Medium | 13.5 | 21 | 4.25 |
Large | 15 | 23 | 4.5 |
XL | 16.5 | 25 | 4.75 |
Measurement Notes:
Sleeve length measured from shoulder edge.
Care Instructions:
Machine wash cold. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low.