Whereas the concept of democracy, in which the supreme power to govern was vested in the people, was developed in ancient Greece; Whereas the Founding Fathers of the United States were inspired by ancient Greek political philosophy when forming the political system of the United States; Whereas the ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence inspired the uprising of the Greek people against the Ottoman Empire and were reflected in the revolutionary Greek Constitutions; Whereas the War of Greek Independence initiated the struggle for self-determination of all the occupied nations of the Ottoman Empire; Whereas American philhellenes, including future abolitionist Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, future abolitionist Jonathan Peckham Miller, and George Jarvis, traveled to Greece to fight alongside and provide aid to the Greek people in their struggle for independence; Whereas the people of the United States generously sent humanitarian assistance to the people of Greece during their struggle for independence, often through philhellene committees; Whereas the United States and Greece have been allies in all international conflicts throughout modern history; Whereas the Greek-American community has positively contributed to American society and has helped forge the ties between the United States and Greece; Whereas the United States has greatly contributed to the reconstruction of Greece after World War II; Whereas North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership has further tightened the cooperation between the United States and Greece; Whereas Greece is an integral part of the European Union; Whereas Greece is a strategic partner of the United States in bringing political stability and economic development to the Balkan region, having actively contributed to the Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries of the region and having been 1 of the major investors in southeastern Europe, including in critical infrastructure