“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.”
~ The Declaration of Independence
July 4, 1776
“In the truest sense, freedom
cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.”
~Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty."
John F. Kennedy
The Birth of American
Independence
When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out
in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain,
and those who did were considered radical. By the middle of the following year,
however, many more colonists had come to favor independence, thanks to growing
hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments such as
those expressed in Thomas Paine's bestselling pamphlet "Common
Sense," published in early 1776. On
June 7, when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House
(later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry
Lee introduced a motion calling for the colonies' independence. Amid heated
debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee's resolution, but appointed a
five-man committee--including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of
Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania
and Robert R. Livingston of New York--to draft a formal statement justifying
the break with Great Britain.
On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of
Lee's resolution for independence in a near-unanimous vote (the New York
delegation abstained, but later voted affirmatively). On that day, John Adams
wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 "will be celebrated, by succeeding
Generations, as the great anniversary Festival" and that the celebration
should include "Pomp and Parade...Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and
Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other." On July 4th,
the Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which had been
written largely by Jefferson. Though the vote for actual independence took
place on July 2nd, from then on the 4th became the day that was celebrated as
the birth of American independence.
“We on this continent should never forget that men first
crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty
for their souls.”
~Robert J. McCracken
Early Fourth of July Celebrations
In the pre-Revolutionary years, colonists had held annual
celebrations of the king's birthday, which traditionally included the ringing
of bells, bonfires, processions and speechmaking. By contrast, during the
summer of 1776 some colonists celebrated the birth of independence by holding
mock funerals for King George III, as a way of symbolizing the end of the
monarchy's hold on America and the triumph of liberty. Festivities including
concerts, bonfires, parades and the firing of cannons and muskets usually
accompanied the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence,
beginning immediately after its adoption. Philadelphia held the first annual
commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777, while Congress was still
occupied with the ongoing war. George Washington issued double rations of rum
to all his soldiers to mark the anniversary of independence in 1778, and in
1781, several months before the key American victory at Yorktown, Massachusetts
became the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday.
After the Revolutionary War, Americans continued to
commemorate Independence Day every year, in celebrations that allowed the new
nation's emerging political leaders to address citizens and create a feeling of
unity. By the last decade of the 18th century, the two major political
parties--Federalists and Democratic-Republicans--that had arisen began holding
separate Independence Day celebrations in many large cities.
And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who
died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood
July 4th Becomes A National Holiday
The tradition of patriotic celebration became even more
widespread after the War of 1812, in which the United States again faced Great
Britain. In 1870, the U.S. Congress made July 4th a federal holiday; in 1941,
the provision was expanded to grant a paid holiday to all federal employees.
Over the years, the political importance of the holiday would decline, but
Independence Day remained an important national holiday and a symbol of
patriotism.
“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 shows,
games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this
continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore.”
~ John Adams
From DMK
&
This was my entry for 4th of July. I think we need to see it again. The times are trying. slantedk.blogspot.com/2012/07/birth-…
— David M Karder (@slantedk) August 8, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment