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In honor of our country's 232nd birthday today, I thought I would give you just a little history of our Independence (don't worry, we will go over this in depth in just a couple of months).
In the months leading up to the Revolutionary War, many colonists were becoming dissatisfied with the way that the English government were dealing with the colonies. Although taxes were a major concern, it was not the only one.
Even after the war started in 1775, most of the colonists only wanted reform, not independence. In the months leading up to our official separation, the attitude started to change. There were several factors that caused this. First, the Patriot loss to the British at Breed's (Bunker) Hill in Boston. Although it was a technical loss for the colonists, the amount of causalities inflicted on the British showed that they could be defeated. Second, a pamphlet by Thomas Paine, called Common Sense, argued that it didn't make sense to stay with Britain any longer.
The support for independence was strongest in New England, were the brunt of the war was being fought. Even at the Second Continental Congress, the "ruling" body of the colonies, not every delegate was in favor of independence. Even when the final vote was taken, two of the Pennsylvania delegates decided to miss the meeting, than to vote their conscience and vote against it.
On June 7th, 1776, Richard Henry Lee from Virginia brought the following resolution before the Congress:
``Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.''
Congress debated on the resolution on the following day, the 8th and on Monday the 10th. On June 11th, a Committee of 5, made up of Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman, was delegated the task of writing draft Declaration of Independence (DoI) for consideration. Now, as most historians will point out, Thomas Jefferson relied heavily on other Enlightenment writers and borrowed heavily in the writing of the DoI. However, he spent the next seventeen days writing the brunt of the document, listing not only the right of Americans to separate from England, but also the reasons why they should separate. It is truly a beautiful and poetic document.
After reviewing it with the members of the Committee of Five, where changes were made, the Declaration of Independence was brought before the Congress on June 28. On Monday July 1st, debate was held on Lee's original resolution for independence. Now remember, even in the early days of July, their was still opposition to Independence. This is really to be expected. We view this period of history in the hindsight that shows us that the colonists win the war. At the time, victory was not really that clear. The colonists were facing one of the strongest nations in the world with one of the greatest military forces, with manufacturing capabilities, something the colonies sorely lacked. Victory was a longshot. The delegates, also realized that by signing this document, by approving Independence, they were signing their own death
warrants. One my favorite quotes of the time was between Benjamin Harrison of Virginia and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts. Harrison who was overweight, told Gerry:
"I shall have a great advantage over you when we are all hung for what we are now doing, Mr. Jerry (sic), from the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes but from the likeness of your body you will dance in the air for one hour."
Debate continued on July 2nd when a vote was finally taken, which was unanimous. In fact John Adams, in a letter to his wife stated that:
" But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, 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 Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."
After approving the actual break, they then turned their attention on the actual language of the DoI itself, spent the rest of the 2nd and all of the 3rd making revisions to the document (including a line in the grievances section that blamed the Crown for forcing slavery on the colonies. This didn't go over well with delegates in the southern colonies that thought slavery was a good thing.) After the revisions were made, the delegates approved the Declaration of Independence. So even though the break officially occurred on July 2nd, the document announcing that break wasn't approved till the 4th, which is why we celebrate Independence Day on the 4th.
One last fact, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who worked so hard to bring this country into being, actually became political enemies and heads of the first two political parties. Adams lost the presidency to Jefferson in 1800 and was so upset he left Washington, DC before the inauguration. However they renewed their friendship in old age. In what has to be one of the greatest coincidences in American history, as the nation was celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the DoI on July 4th, 1826, both Jefferson and Adams lay on their death beds. Jefferson was the first to die that day, in the morning, one of his last words were asking his doctor if it was the Fourth. Adams, who swore that he would out survive his political enemy and personal friend died later that afternoon proclaiming that "Jefferson survives" not
knowing that he outlived him by hours.
Have a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend. On Monday we will finish the War of the Roses.
I got information for this entry from the following sites:
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