Fourth of July: Founding Folklore

See what Snopes.com is debunking today. [Web Version]( 3 July 2019 Daily Debunker Fourth of July: Founding Folklore Tomorrow, the Fourth of July, is a day not only to commemorate the birth of the United States of America, but also to explore and celebrate the rich history and heritage of the nation. To that end, we offer an assortment of historical fact checks devoted to myths and misconceptions about America’s founding and the founders themselves. Enjoy! 'The Price They Paid' A widely shared internet article purports to give true accounts of the lives and fates of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. [Mixture]( Hancock’s Retort Did the Declaration’s first signer, John Hancock, aim a verbal barb at the King of England after affixing his famously large signature to the document? [False]( Washington’s Prophetic Vision According to the supposed reminiscences of a contemporary of George Washington, the nation’s first president prophesied an America embattled by civil war. [False]( The Unfree Press Did Thomas Jefferson say, “When the speech condemns a free press, you are hearing the words of a tyrant’? One of the most famous of America's Founding Fathers might have agreed with this sentiment, but we found no evidence that he wrote it. [False]( Facebook vs. the Declaration Did Facebook flag the Declaration of Independence as hate speech? A phrase contained in an excerpt from one of America's founding documents triggered the social network's acceptable content filtering. [Mixture]( Daily Debunker will be on hiatus this Thursday, July 4, so our staff can take a well-deserved break. We’ll be back on Friday! Fact Checks All in the Family Did U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris’ ancestor own slaves in Jamaica? Based on an article written by the 2020 presidential Democratic primary candidate's father, right-leaning opponents dove head-first into an ill-judged attack on her. [Unproven]( Fighting in the Streets Was an “elderly man” beaten while trying to help a “man in a sundress” in Portland? An image of an older man with a bloody face was widely shared, but video shows he was an aggressor in a brawl. [Mixture]( Slightly Biased Did Trump’s 2020 campaign publish a heavily slanted “Trump vs Democrat” poll? Readers questioned whether the outrageous framing of the poll questions was intended as satire. It was not. [True]( Eh, Canada? Was the Canadian flag displayed across Niagara Falls? A patriotic display could be seen at Niagara Falls on Canada Day 2019, but it wasn't THAT elaborate. [False]( Thanks, Obama Did Trump tweet multiple predictions that Obama would attack Iran? Failed prognostications don't fade away — they gain immortality in the digital age. [True]( Support Snopes Have You Shopped Our Store Yet? We’ve got Snopes T-shirts available in practically every color, plus gift cards for your favorite fact-checking nerds. All proceeds help support Snopes! [Shop now]( In the News NASA Renames West Virginia Facility in Honor of Human ‘Computer’ Katherine Johnson was portrayed in the film "Hidden Figures" and is now 100 years old. [Read more]( U.S. Customs Agents Seize Rat Meat at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport Customs officials prohibit the entry of African meats to prevent the spread of African swine fever. [Read more]( Lee Iacocca, Engineer of Chrysler’s Turnaround, Dies at 94 Iacocca helped launch some of Detroit's best-selling and most significant vehicles. [Read more]( Trump Touts July 4 Military ‘Salute’; Critics See Politics The President will deliver a patriotic speech at the Lincoln Memorial. [Read more]( 2020 Census to be Printed Without Citizenship Question The U.S. Census Bureau has started the process of printing the questionnaire without the controversial query. [Read more]( Staff Pick Wooden Smile As all Americans know (even if they skipped American history in school), President George Washington wore false teeth made of wood (just like he admitted chopping down that cherry tree at age 6). [Read more]( Snopes Media Group Inc. 864 Grand Ave #256 San Diego, CA 92109 © 1994-2019 by Snopes Media Group Inc. This material may not be reproduced without permission. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes Media Group. [Manage Preferences]( [Unsubscribe](