| Independence Day History I just want to stop a minute and wish you a good July 4th! I hope your day includes a noisy parade and noisier fireworks. I think once in awhile we just need to cast aside our dull, grown-up personas and cut loose with our crazy kid personas! So get out there and waste your allowance on fireworks, get a little BBQ on your chin, get in the watermelon seed spitting contest, and put on that silly Uncle Sam hat. In the spirit of the day, I did a little checking about the history of Independence Day. Guess what? They didn't tell us the whole story in grade school! In case you're interested, read on to find out what I discovered: |
 The original resolution (to cut the apron strings from Mother Britain) was introduced to the Continental Congress on June 17, 1776.
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Then Thomas Jefferson and a willing committee put their heads together to polish up a formal writing for the grand announcement.
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The actual resolution was approved on July 2 but the Declaration of Independence (a separate document) was adopted on July 4, 1776.
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It took days, weeks, and in one case, years before all the signatures on the Declaration were in place. Thomas McKean didn't get his signature on the page until 1781!
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Exactly one year after the Declaration was approved, Philadelphia held a huge birthday party for the infant republic. But the first official (by legislative act) celebration was held in 1781 in Massachusetts.
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| Ok, friends, class is over. Eat, drink, and be merry! Independence is worth celebrating! | |
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Jim Barricks |
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