Independence Day and The 4th of July
We celebrate America’s Independence Day on July 4th, but in 1776 things didn’t happen so quickly. The first celebration of The Fourth of July did not happen officially until 1870 when it was declared a U.S. Holiday.
America actually declared it’s independence from the crown on July 2nd, 1776 – it took two days for the Continental Congress to approve the final wording on the Declaration of Independence, upon which the date was documented, July 4th 1776.
Celebration began July 8th in Philadelphia and George Washington found out it was official on July 9th. Signatures were added until August 2nd 1776 and it was delivered to England some time in Mid August.
Realize that all of this was treasonous, and very ballsy for all our Founding Fathers. If anything holds true it is that anything worth doing isn’t easy, and should not be rushed. So we celebrate on July 4th, but really all of July we ought to celebrate freedom. This may be already the case for some, and cheers to you folk.
Some notable bad asses signed this document had some notably bad ass things to say about it:
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin FranklinWe must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.
Benjamin FranklinIdleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings and parliaments. If we can get rid of the former, we may easily bear the latter.
Benjamin Franklin
I am well aware of the toil and blood and treasure it will cost us to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these states. Yet through all the gloom I see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is worth all the means. This is our day of deliverance.
John AdamsLiberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right…and a desire to know; but besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge, I mean of the characters and conduct of their rulers.
John AdamsThere, I guess King George will be able to read that.
John Hancock
While Gen’l Howe with a Large Armament is advancing towards N. York, our Congress resolved to Declare the United Colonies free and Independent States. A Declaration for this Purpose, I expect, will this day pass Congress…It is gone so far that we must now be a free independent State, or a Conquered Country.
Abraham Clark
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