Ordinarily, today would be celebrated with a parade,
crowds of people lining the roadside, family barbecues and packed masses of people in
the parks for the fireworks after sundown.
Alas, this Covid crap has really thrown a pail of cold water upon our
celebration of rebellion.
Yup,
rebellion. We are a nation conceived and
born of armed insurrection against imperial rule.
The revolution against King George III broke out in April 1775 with a handful of colonists who were willing to
fight for absolute independence from Great Britain and the imposition of
colonial rule. They were considered
radicals.
By the time 1776 rolled-around many more colonists
had begun to chafe-against their subjugation under British rule and warmed to
the idea of independence. The writings
of Thomas Paine early in the year fed the growing hostility against Britain and
helped to spread revolutionary fervor.
The colonies legally
separated from Great Britain on July 2, 1776 when the Second Continental
Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed
earlier in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. Following the vote, Congress redirected its
attentions to the drafting of an explanation of this decision. Written by a committee of five - with Thomas
Jefferson as the principal author - this Declaration of Independence was
approved on July 4.
Independence Day - also referred to as
the 4th of July - is a federal holiday memorializing the adoption of the
Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Raising a toast to rebellion
against imperial rule and a Congress with cojones.
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