WATCH: Gov Shapiro Calls On Pennsylvanians to Learn from Revolutionary Heroes | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA - As Pennsylvania prepares to celebrate America's 250th anniversary of our independence from a king, Governor Josh Shapiro is sharing the stories of three lesser known Pennsylvanians who fought for freedom and helped shape our nation.

Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American democracy - both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were written in Philadelphia - and as President Trump politicizes America250 celebrations in an attempt to make them about himself, Governor Shapiro is reminding Pennsylvanians that Independence Day is not about any one individual - it is about celebrating American freedom, democracy, and everything that makes our country great.

In the video series, Governor Shapiro reminds viewers that the United States has survived so long "because of extraordinary Americans like Lydia Darragh, James Forten, and Margaret Cochran Corbin - and the generations that followed them - who put country before themselves."

The Governor also calls out attempts to distort and whitewash American history - and earlier this week, he called out the Trump Administration's attempts to rewrite history at historic sites in Philadelphia.

Governor Shapiro ends the video series with a call to action, telling Pennsylvanians that "today, the work falls to all of us. To continue putting country before self, to continue advancing the cause of freedom and working to open the doors of opportunity, and to continue the work our founders started here in Philadelphia by perfecting our union."

Governor Shapiro urges Pennsylvanians to draw on the courage, resilience, and strength of Pennsylvanians who fought during the Revolutionary War:

In the first video, released today, Governor Shapiro highlights the life of Lydia Darragh, a Quaker nurse and midwife who came to Philadelphia from Ireland. Despite religion forbidding her from taking a side in the Revolutionary War, when the fight for independence came to her doorstep, Lydia took action to protect the Continental Army.

"Despite her religious beliefs and threats to her personal safety - Lydia had the courage to put her young country before herself, take on a tyrant King, and become the American Revolution's best-known Quaker spy," said Governor Shapiro. "She believed in the promise of this new nation - and the freedom and opportunity it would bring."

The second video, to be posted tomorrow, follows the life of James Forten, a Black man born to free parents in Philadelphia in 1766. As a teenager, James joined the military until being taken prisoner by the British army. Upon his return, James purchased a sail loft and became one of the wealthiest Philadelphians in the city. With his wealth, James fought for the abolition of slavery, publishing pamphlets and newsletters calling for equal rights for every American until the end of his life.

"He fought to perfect our union," said Governor Shapiro. "Forten reminds us to this day that the fight for true equality remains - and that even in the face of personal hardship, it's on us to do that necessary work."

In the third video, to be posted on Friday, Governor Shapiro tells the story of Margaret Cochran Corbin - born and raised in Franklin County. She began her service as a camp follower with the Pennsylvania militia at 21 years old, joining her husband on the battlefield at Fort Washington in 1776. While the battle ended in British victory, after being released as a prisoner of war, Margaret was recognized by the Continental Congress for her heroism - and she became the first woman in American history to receive a military pension.

"250 years later, a plaque on the grounds where Fort Washington once stood gives Margaret her due recognition as 'the first woman to take a soldier's part in the War for Liberty,'" said Governor Shapiro. "She was an extraordinary American, advancing the cause of freedom - a cause that once again, falls to ordinary Americans today."

Together, the stories of Lydia Darragh, James Forten, and Margaret Corbin remind us that the fight for democracy falls into the hands of every Pennsylvanian.