By John Vogel
July of 1776 was the culmination of years of royal overreaches, civil disturbances, unrest and drunken political arguments that went on ‘til the sun came up. The delegates of each of the 13 colonies met, argued and sweated through a grueling process during an east coast heatwave that would even make a camel want to call it a day. The goal was to honestly discuss and debate the merits of an independent nation not bogged down by British rule but working on behalf of and for the benefit of the citizens. We do know the result, as the 56 delegates voted in agreement that America was to be its own nation, and tyrannical King George could royally fuck off.
At that moment, each man became guilty of treason, and either death or liberty awaited them.
The date was July 2nd, 1776. The actual day of independence.
Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declared the colonies were “free and independent States, and absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”
John Adams believed this to be the true birth of the nation and the actual day of independence. “[Independence Day] will be the most memorable Epocha,[sic] in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival… It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade with shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
Adams knew Americans were going to be a beer-swilling, gun-toting, explosive-loving people group.
By the time the 4th of July rolled around, the delegates, soon to be signers, were still nursing hangovers as they celebrated no longer having to pretend to like tea. Thomas Jefferson presented everyone the Declaration of Independence that was going to be mailed off to England to let them know what was up. 56 signers moseyed up to the table and wrote their names, and probably went back to drinking.
What transpired as a result was no surprise to the signers, as the newly formed United States went to war for the first time against their former ruler. By the time ink hit paper though, the Founding Fathers had already been living in an American state of mind for 48 hours.
Should this ruin your plans for the 4th? Hell no. In fact, our celebration of America’s independence from mashed peas and gravy or having to like the Beatles should last the whole week. This means more fireworks, beer, brown liquor, bbq and watching Mel Gibson tomahawk Red Coats than ever before.
Think it over.
