Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Happy Second of July!!!

I know I'm posting this the evening before, but that's an issue I'll just have to deal with on my own time.

First off, can I say that I am not a fan of references to


THE 4th OF JULY!!!!


The fourth of July is as arbitrary as calling Christmas, "The 25th of December". There's meaning behind why we celebrate this day. We celebrate our forefathers' decision to break away from a tyranny so that they might establish their own country which their followers would try desperately to turn into a tyranny of their own.


I've seen this multiple places on the internet and have heard it in an audiobook as well. None of those places attributes the wording to a particular individual. That being said, it is not mine, but is true nonetheless.

So, July 4th, Independence Day. The day when America declared it's independence from Great Britain. Actually, not so much.

The real reason we celebrate Independence day on July 4th instead on July 2nd is actually a mystery. Contrary to popular belief very little actual events happened on July 4th in Independence Hall other than a swarm of horseflies pushing the Continental Congress to a speedy decision. Enough on that for now, lets get on to what happened on July 2nd.

On June 7th, 1776, Richard Henry Lee, a delegate of the Continental Congress for Virginia made a speech to his fellow delegates of making America a completely free nation from Great Britain. Though many of the delegates present were approving of those words, they did not feel that it was necessary to take such exorbitant actions. Mainly because to vote for a break with England would be considered an act of treason which at the time, was punishable by death. So, they put Lee's proposal on the table for further study.

Throughout the rest of the month tensions rose between the fledgling nation and Britain causing all of the delegates to alter their 1st decision when congress met once again on July 2nd. On that fateful day, all of the delegates voted for the break with England, prompting that the declaration be written. After the vote was taken, John Adams wrote back home to his wife, Abigail, of the event.

The Second of July, 1776 will be the most memorable in the history of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the Great Anniversary Celebration.

2 days later on July 4th only a few things happened, one actually, being quite funny. The real reason Congress met on July 4th was to approve the wording of the declaration. Some didn't like the way a sentence was structured others the way the name of the new country was used. So, none the less, they were whining over things of little importance. (Kind of like what our Congress does now.) This heated debated seemed to continue to no end, that is, until a swarm of horseflies from a nearby farm came flying through the windows that were open due to the warm weather. While swatting at the flies, one delegate rose and said that Jefferson's declaration was suitable to him, which many second, causing a motion of approval that was speedily approved of. Soon afterward the founding fathers ran out of the Hall swatting at the horseflies.

So there you go, just a little history tidbit for you. So maybe we should celebrate Independence day on July 2nd, and celebrate the Horsefly on July 4th that helped keep one of the greatest documents in history the way it was and not a load of political blather.

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