It’s July already? Not only that…it’s the fourth! :)
Today is a day for celebrating, so make sure to watch the parade, spend time with family, eat a hot dog, barbeque…just enjoy yourself!
I want to take a little look into the history behind today. I know, I know…you probably covered all of this in school. It’s nice to refresh every now and then though, so here we go!
There is no one event that singularly led to the Revolution. The Americans believed that they were entitled to the full democratic rights of Englishmen. The British believed that the American colonies were just colonies, to be used and exploited in whatever way best suited Great Britain. These two conflicting views made conflict inevitable.
The Revolutionary War broke out on April 19, 1775, at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. On June 11, 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed a committee of five men to write a Declaration of Independence from British Rule. Those men were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman.
On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence, the nation’s most cherished symbol of liberty, was approved by the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation.
With our celebrations today, it is nice to keep in mind all the struggles this country went to just to become an independent and free nation. Even after the Declaration was signed, the Revolutionary War didn’t stop until 1783.
Have fun with family, go out and barbeque by the pool and watch the fireworks tonight. Make sure you wear plenty of sunscreen, or at least some kind of sun protection! Enjoy “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Happy Birthday, to the United States of America.
Thank you to my sources: USA.gov, Congress for Kids, History.com, Archives.gov, USHistory.org, History Central
Ember Cove 