This Thursday,
July 4th, 2013, we celebrate the 4th of July
commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. During the American Revolution, the legal
separation of the Thirteen Colonies from Great Britain occurred on July 2,
1776, when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of
independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia
declaring the United States independent from Great Britain. After voting for independence, Congress
turned its attention to the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining
this decision, which had been prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas
Jefferson as its principal author.
Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally
approving it on July 4th. A
day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:
“The
second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of
America. 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 forever
more.”
Adam’s
prediction was off by two days. From the
outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the
much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date
the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress.
In remarkable
coincidence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the
Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States,
died on the same day: July 4, 1826,
which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration.
“Information taken from wikipedia.org
and history.com”
So enjoy your
family celebrations and remember the Revolutionary Patriots who fought for and
won independence for our great country The United States of America.
submitted by Jackie Craft, regent of The Brunswick Town Chapter
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