Footnote.com today announced the official launch of the company and its web 2.0 historical social networking site. As part of the launch, Footnote.com is making a significant portion of their millions of original Revolutionary War documents available for free from today until the end of July. Included in these records are secret journals, intercepted letters from the British military, and letters written by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and other founding fathers.

With the ability to view these original records on the web, people are now discovering a new side of history few have seen before. For example, the 4th of July has always been considered as the day we celebrate our nation’s independence. However, in a letter to his wife, John Adams wrote that July 2nd would be “the most memorable epoch in the history of America… it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.”

“Many people may know the high level details of American history; however, information about specific events and the heroic individuals involved are often overlooked,” said Roger Bell, President of Footnote.com. “Documents included in our Revolutionary War collection provide valuable insights about our nation’s history that appeal to professional historians while making history fun for anyone with even a casual interest.”

In addition to providing historical records, Footnote.com provides tools such as Story Pages and Spotlights that let users upload and share their own insights and discoveries.

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5. Footnote.com releases largest online collection of U.S. WWII Vietnam war photos