Happy Fourth Of July
/Independence Day – Fourth Of July
We love you, Great Britain, but we've got to go.
“It's not you, it's me.”
No, actually, it IS you. And we don't want to pay your taxes. Especially without representation.
The United States is celebrating its independence from the rule of Great Britain and the birth of a sovereign nation – the United States of America.
A Federal Holiday
Although Independence Day has been celebrated since the 18th century, it was in 1870 that the U.S. Congress made 04 July a federal holiday. It then became a paid federal holiday in 1941.
We like the paid part. To this day, I can remember my joy at having my first paid holiday. There I was, at home, eating bonbons (well, not really, but it sounds good) and getting paid for it.
Do you remember some of your first paid holidays?
The Declaration Of Independence
Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were among the key players in the creation of the Declaration of Independence. They are considered the founding fathers of the United States of America.
It is noteworthy that Jefferson wrote, "We hold these truths to be sacred and un-deniable..." and it was Franklin who changed it to the phrase we all know:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident...”
On 02 July 1776, the Continental Congress of the American colonies voted in favor of independence from Great Britain. Two days later on 04 July, the delegates ratified and signed the Declaration of Independence.
The 4th of July is the day celebrated as the birth of American Independence. As a significant patriotic holiday, its most common symbol is the American flag. The word “patriotism” comes from the Latin “patria” meaning “fatherland.”
Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson working on the Declaration of independence.
Painter, Jean leon gerome ferris, 1900
The 2nd Or 4th Of July
Humans wouldn't be humans without disagreement. Some founding fathers, John Adams in particular, believed we should celebrate the 2nd of July, when Congress first voted in favor of the resolution. In fact, as a protest, even when personally invited, Adams refused to join any 4th of July celebrations.
But here's a little Twilight Zone moment.
John Adams died on 04 July 1826 at the age of 90.
Coincidence? Or did his spirit, in some fashion, relent and claim the 4th of July by dying on that day?
However, the plot thickens. Thomas Jefferson also died on the exact same day at the age of 83, just hours before John Adams.
04 July 1826.
Relax Into The Red, White And Blue
For the Fourth of July, you might ponder the principles of the Declaration of Independence. What do they mean to you?
“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.”
This preamble is considered an enduring statement of human rights and a moral compass for the United States. All men are created equal has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language."
Do you have a favorite founding father?
Thomas Jefferson? Benjamin Franklin? Or fiercely stubborn John Adams?
Enjoy your 4th of July holiday.
And oh, by the way, we still love you, Great Britain.
This song is timeless in its message even though it is from many decades ago.
Be sure to take a listen.
