“Someone
is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago”. ~Warren Buffett
I find in the day-to-day living of our
super-charged lives, we, speaking of Americans collectively, often neglect to
give thanks for our multitude of blessings. I believe one of our greatest blessings—a
blessing that many have lived, sacrificed, and died to uphold is celebrated
this, and every, 4th of July.
We must remember those who planted the seeds of freedom,
which grew into the abundance of our lives today. Like those who planted the
shade trees sheltering us, we need to acknowledge that July 4th is much more than a time for picnics, fireworks, and
relaxation. We should verbalize the history
with our children, young family members, and remind ourselves why freedom is
important. Why we must never that
freedom as something to take for grant.
We celebrate American Independence Day on the Fourth
of July every year. We think of July 4,
1776, as a day that represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of
the United States of America as an independent nation.
So what exactly happened on the Fourth of July?
According to Constitution Facts.com We think of July 4, 1776, as a day that
represents the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the
United States of America as an independent nation.
However,
July 4, 1776 wasn't the day that the Continental Congress decided to declare
independence (they did that on July
2, 1776).
It
wasn’t the day we started the American Revolution either (that had happened back in April 1775).
Moreover, it
wasn't the day Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of
Independence (that was in June 1776). Or the date on which the Declaration
was delivered to Great Britain (that didn't happen until November 1776). Or the
date it was signed (that was August 2, 1776).
So what REALLY did happen on July 4, 1776?
The Continental Congress approved the final
wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They'd been working
on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2nd and
finally agreed on all of the edits and changes.
July
4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence, and the fancy handwritten copy that was signed
in August (the copy now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.)
It’s also the date that was printed on the Dunlap Broadsides, the original
printed copies of the Declaration that were circulated throughout the new
nation. Therefore, when people thought
of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 was the date they remembered.
As I sit in the shade of my mimosa tree on this
beautiful Southern California, I give thanks to those who founded our Nation,
and I honor those who made so many sacrifices.
Happy Reading,
Connie
Please stop by and visit the other authors
participating in today’s blog hop:
http://triciamg.blogspot.com/
Tricia McGill
http://romancingscifi.blogspot.com/
Vijaya Schartz
http://authorjamiehill.blogspot.com/ Jamie Hill
http://mizging.blogspot.com/ Ginger Simpson
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