The mission of these articles is to inform, educate and inspire you, the reader, to Make Art Happen in your life and the life of our community.
This weekend we celebrate Independence Day or as is more commonly known, the 4th of July! This annual event conjures in my mind images of: patriotic town parades, big band concerts, family picnics featuring Dad’s barbeque and chilled watermelon, kids playing in swimming pools, family fireworks creating a haze of gunpow der smoke across the yard and gigantic professional firework displays that illuminate the sky from horizon to horizon and booms that make windows rattle and dogs hide!
Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays, not just for the fun and spectacle but because of its history and significance to everyone living in the USA.
I always believe in listening to the most qualified on any subject so I humbly borrow some of the following from the History Channel website.
‘The Fourth of July-also known as Independence Day or July 4th – has been a federal holiday since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution.
On July 2nd 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American Independence.’
So, we celebrate our American Independence from Great Britain, and although to our modern eyes, Independence seems to have been inevitable, however it was a very near thing.
In fact, when the initial battles of the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical.
However, by the next year, 1776, many more colonists came to favor independence due to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary pamphlets published by Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin.
On June 7, 1776, a motion for Independence was made in the Continental Congress by Virginia delegate, Richard Henry Lee (father of Robert E. Lee) which, amid heated debate, was postponed until a committee drafted a formal statement justifying the break with Great Britain.
This draft was voted on and approved by the Continental Congress on July 2nd and the draft is known worldwide as the United States ‘Declaration of Independence.’
I encourage you, the reader, to take the time to find a copy of the Declaration of Independence and read this powerful statement.
For too many of us, the 4th of July has become akin to the road sign we see on our drive about town. We don’t really notice it because it has become part of the landscape. It’s almost invisible and we don’t think of it, until we need it.
Take a moment to reflect on why we are here, how we got here and what we have due to the sacrifice of others.
Have a Happy and Safe Independence Day!