Issue 26.17
This coming week, most of us will be treated to fireworks, flags, food and fun as we celebrate the founding of our country. However, there are a number of things that are traditionally believed that are either a little off or downright incorrect. Even though some of the details that we hear repeated by leaders and politicians are less than accurate, it is still true that the United States of America was created and independence from England was proclaimed during July and August of 1776.
Here are some interesting facts gleaned from historic documents and personal recollections of those that we revere as the founders of our nation:
The Declaration of Independence was created by a committee of five men – John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston. The principal author was Jefferson who wrote the first draft and edited the final document after significant revisions suggested by the other members of the committee.
The (almost) finished document was presented to the congress on June 28th.
On July 1st, the committee supervising the effort agreed that the Declaration of Independence and the action of declaring the sovereign status (separating from England) should be approved.
All this was presented to the whole congress on July 2nd, which then voted to declare our independence and release to the public and the world the Declaration of Independence, which indicated the many reasons for creating the new republic and refusing to any longer be a part of the English empire.
On July 3rd, final revisions to the Declaration were considered and voted on by the congress. Other than a few minor changes, only two paragraphs were deleted from the final draft. One was critical of the English people for not standing up to their government in support of freedom. The other was a section criticizing slavery and those who participated in it. The thinking in the first part was that there might yet be supporters of the former colonies among the English and they did not want to offend them. The deletion of the second of the two aforementioned paragraphs was required by a couple of southern states if we wanted those states to unitedly sign and agree to the document.
July 4th was the day that the final wording of the Declaration was approved by congress and sent to the printer for publication. It was, however, not the day that most of those who signed actually put their names on the document. It is likely that the only signature on the document when sent to the printer was John Hancock’s as he was the one to authorize its printing. It was also not the day that the Declaration was delivered to the public and then sent to England officially creating a new country. That date was the 5th of July. Signing then commenced by the 56 men who were willing to pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor publicly, and continued over the next month until all had signed. Many of them paid a hefty price for their courage in doing so. Some of them died or had family members die in the ensuing war. Others lost their fortunes, properties and freedom. Some were tortured by the British. All had to live in fear until the war was won, knowing they would be hung as traitors to England if they did not prevail.
July 4th may not be the day that everything happened, but it is the day we chose to remember the commitment, sacrifice and courage of the founders and celebrate the principles of freedom we hold dear.
Lynn West is a thinker, a teacher and a patriot. You can reach him through email at forgingthefuture2021@gmail.com or through this newspaper. Liberty is a state of being which must be continually created. These articles can help all of us discover the ways we can contribute to that outcome.