INDEPENDENCE DAY – JULY 4, 2018

Do you ever wonder what it was like on that day in 1776? How did those presenters of the Declaration of Independence resolution feel on that first Independence Day?  Were they elated? Scared? Humbled? Excited?  Well, there were some varied reactions, and we ought to study them for a deeper purpose.  But, for now, let's take a slight detour and examine a few myths we have created.

 John Trumbull's famous painting actually depicts the Committee of Five presenting the Declaration.

(1)  The founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  

“The Continental Congress actually issued an initial resolution asserting independence from Britain on July 2, which was then revised and finalized on July 4”.   However, it took longer for the Declaration of Independence document to be signed by the parties to it, and longer still to get everyone’s signature.  Historians believe that the signing didn't take place until about a month later. Emily Sneff, research manager of the Declaration Resources Project at Harvard University, writes that 49 of the 56 signers didn't even add their signatures to the declaration until August 2, 1776.   She cites the Journals of the Continental Congress, which include this August 2 entry: "The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed."

So why do we celebrate the 4^th of July as Independence Day?  “The Declaration was technically agreed to on that day, and the copies distributed throughout the colonies were dated July 4, 1776.”

(2)  Independence was all about the Colonies and Britain.  Partly true, but not wholly true.  Remember, there were many colonists who saw Britain as their home country, and who remained loyal to her during the Revolutionary War and after.  There was also a larger conflict that played a role, and that was the long-enduring rivalry between France and England.  “The American Revolution took place on the heels of the French and Indian War — one of the theaters of the Seven Years' War between France and Britain.

That North American clash provided a prelude to the Revolution, launching George Washington's military career and prompting a victorious but cash-strapped Britain to raise taxes on its colonies. France's eventual decision to dive into the fight on the side of the colonists was a chance for payback.” 

(3)  The Liberty Bell cracked on July 4^th, 1776.

“As the lore goes, after the colonies declared independence, the citizens of Philadelphia partied so hard that they cracked the bell, which was first made in 1751.” Well,  Philadelphians may like to party, but in this case they probably did not get the word that the declaration was official until July 8^th. "On that day, lots of bells were rung to celebrate public readings of the Declaration, and the Liberty Bell was probably one of them," writes historian Joseph Coohill — who blogs about historical myths under the name Professor Buzzkill.

We have no way of knowing for sure, though, whether the bell cracked even though “the state house steeple in which the bell was housed was kind of falling apart and under repair at the time,”  according to the Independence Hall Association.

 
(4)  John Hancock's giant signature was meant to sass King George III

The story goes that when Hancock was asked why he had signed his name so large, Hancock quipped that he wanted King George III to be able to read it without his spectacles!  We know at the very least that the document was never sent to King George III.  We also know from other documents that Hancock signed that he just happened to have a large flourishing signature!

(Thanks to Wikipedia and Businessinsider.com for these portraits and quotes)

As always, Americans are somewhat expert at making-up stories that later are pretty much accepted by a large number of people as “gospel truth.”  But now that we have taken this detour, let us remind ourselves of some truths about our origins as a nation that may have meaning for today’s world.

 One of those truths relates to the ages of many of the people who attended the Continental Congress that declared Independence, and many who served in the Army of the Revolution under General George Washington. There were some elders there, Benjamin Franklin (in whose honor we are using a Franklin font today!) the most prominent, perhaps. He was age 70. Thomas Jefferson was 33 and Hancock was 39.  Because the average life expectancy  for men was about 35-45 in those days, the latter two would have been considered in the more mature age group! 

At the time of the signing of the Declaration, there were younger men anxious to be doing their part.  A few would include: James Monroe,18; Alexander Hamilton 21; George Pinckney 18 (later, governor of South Carolina); Henry Lee II (father of Robert E.) known as “Light Horse Harry” was 20; John Marshall, 20 and Nathan Hale, 21.  At 26-years-old, Edward Rutledge became the youngest signatory of the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776.

The surprising truth is that there were many younger men drawn to serve in the Revolutionary War, in the halls of Congress and other bodies within a short time after 1776.  There may have been enough younger men involved to call the revolution by a more modern term – a Youth Movement!  Rather than dwell on men (women and slaves as well) who were part of this youth movement, let me, instead, draw your attention to some take-aways that need your  attention.

What can we draw from this?  Unfortunately, we can say – on this Independence Day of 2018 – that we have seen the start of something ugly and foreboding in our own time. We need young people to recognize that we live in one of those moments in American history, when we are threatened once more as a nation, by:

·       an authoritarian government attempting to undermine the foundations of our democracy; they themselves call it de-construction, but it is nothing short of destruction of values that underlie our Constitution and our institutions

·       a tyrannical leader who not only has raised taxes on the middle class, but has destroyed health care, undermined public education, and de-regulated almost every function of government that watches over our citizens;  soon, there will be few controls on business, injustice, inequality and unequal opportunity, so that the only group prospering will be the aristocracy

·       a Congress playing “follow the leader,” and turning over authority and power to the leader, rather than keeping its own separate duties and responsibilities intact, as an equal and independent branch of government

·       a Judiciary becoming the Trump-card for everything the Executive decides to undertake: approval for the roll-back of union rights, women’s rights, civil rights, and protection of children by outlawing gun mania. Support for refusal to admit Muslim immigrants from certain countries is a symptom of what is wrong with a judiciary that favors despotic restrictions.  

·       destruction of this country’s leadership in the world, undoing alliances and treaties, as well as agreements and protocols and building overt and covert relationships with countries that seek our destruction

Our young people must continue to stand up against gun violence, against an unequal and sometimes abusive justice system; against tyranny, and against lack of healthcare, the lack of extraordinary public schools and lack of a plethora of opportunities for a good life.  Will we need a Revolution?  YES, if this continues unabated; NO, if the tyrant is impeached and the do-nothing Congress is once again a place where the people’s business gets done, and is not undermined.

What else might we learn from July 4^th, 1776 (and thereafter)?

Just one more thought perhaps.  “Independence” is an important virtue and value, especially in a democracy.  But when it gets carried to an extreme of nationalistic xenophobia, racism, or belief that one can be above the Law, or that independence means unbridled power to do what one wants rather than to build a community that nurtures, prevents harm and advocates individual contributions to a whole society, then we are in trouble. 

Independence is not individualism or narcissism, or superiority built on oppression and minimalization.  Independence is the ability to advocate for the right even when it is unpopular.  Independence is the strength to stand for something and someone, when others deny the worth of both.  Independence is the wisdom to know when something is out-of-kilter; out-of-whack; out-of-bounds, and inhumane, and then to act with a spirit that inspires others to respond with positive action.  Independence is running for the local school board.  Independence is speaking out when no one else will.  Independence is looking for the real solutions and the real root causes of human frustration, human need and human dignity, and doing something about it.

Independence cannot be taken for granted.  It must be experienced; it must be sought; it must be lived out on behalf of the community.  Independence is not resistance or rebellion for its own sake, or something one does just because one feels like it.  It is rather the joining of individual minds, wills and hearts to effect a revolution of spirit and vitality that transforms the community, the laws, the lives and the hopes of a sovereign people who care about who they are, why they exist, and for whom they can advocate for a better life, liberty and happiness.  In that spirit – hope you had a Happy Fourth of July!