Happy Independence Day
“And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
Those were more than just words, when the founders affixed their names under those words they did exactly what those words said. They pledged their lives, fortunes, and honor towards the founding of a new nation and a cause that they believed so firmly in that they were willing to die for it.
Independence was declared on that day with the words: “We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are 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; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levey war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do,” but it was not won– not yet.
There would be many years of conflict to follow, there would be more defeats than victories before the war ended– but in the end victory was achieved and a new nation was born.
The war had been raging on for over a year when the Declaration was signed, but up until July 4th 1776, America was in a war which was being fought to re-establish her natural born rights as Englishmen, it was not a war for independence. This document changed that and henceforth this was a war of separation.
While people such as Samuel Adams were clamoring for independence– and while George Washington secretly hoped that America would declare its independence– it was a pamphlet called “Common Sense” which was written by Thomas Paine that finally convinced the founders and the citizens of America that independence was not only justifiable, but was proper.
Thomas Paine was the first person to actually set down in words the reasoning for American independence, and why it was a noble and worthy cause; and he is credited as the first person to actually brand this nation the “United States of America.”
When the founders signed this document they became traitors to the Crown and if captured they would have been hanged as such– losing all three pledges they had sworn to each other. They all understood this and were willing to pay the price as Benjamin Franklin famously quipped, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
While they never had to pay the ultimate price for the freedom they have given us– an estimated 25,000 men did, fighting for the cause they believed in– many of them did end up bankrupt or near bankrupt and it debt. So when they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor there was no turning back. Many of them may have lost their fortunes, but they never lost their honor.
Now it was up to the Continental Army to deliver us the freedom that the Declaration rightfully claimed belonged to Americans. The battle went on for many years and it wasn’t until October 19th in 1781 at Yorktown that General Lord Cornwallis surrendered his army to General Washington– sending his second in command to surrender his sword instead of doing it himself as was considered proper in the day, a slight that George Washington was offended by and never forgave– that hostilities ended, but it was still another year before the Treaty of Paris was signed and independence was guaranteed.
The young nation suffered for the next eight years as a loose confederation of states until 1789, when the constitution was ratified and we were given the Republic that we enjoy to this very day. Through the years there have been both good times and bad, but the American spirit will never be broken, because there is an American spirit, a spirit that was born on this day in 1776, and a spirit which will live on in the hearts and minds of Americans.
But none of those events would have happened if it wasn’t for the Declaration that was signed on this day in 1776 and so today we celebrate the birth of the greatest nation in the history of the world. ”It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.”
I hope that everyone enjoys their Fourth of July. Let the fireworks and the grilling begin! Please take a little time during this Fourth of July holiday to think about the men and women who are serving this country today– as well as all of those in the past– who have dedicated their lives to ensure that the vision of our founders remains intact and that a ”government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
I give you three videos from the HBO miniseries “John Adams,” this HBO special was incredible and is a must see for anyone interested in American history.
I have also decided to include a video of Patrick Henry’s famous “give me liberty or give me death” speech. Strangely, it was hard to find a version of this speech that I thought captured the moment, this is the best one I could find. It is only the second half of the speech and lacks the theatrical aspect attributed to Henry of simulating bondage as he appeals to God to remove the chains; breaking the chains as he shouts, “GIVE ME LIBERTY,” but it does include him simulating stabbing himself in the heart as he declares, “OR GIVE ME DEATH.”
America's Watchtower 
I love my country. But there seems to be a growing movement that wants to treat patriotism like a religion and ban it from being promoted in schools or in public.
LikeLike
US history is not being properly taught in the schools anymore; I hadn’t thought of it as the left considering it a type of religion, but that is an interesting way to look at it. I think it is more probable that the left realizes that if children learn the true history of the country and the principles it was founded on they will realize that the Democrat agenda is 180 degress opposite of what the founders intended.
LikeLike
GOD BLESS AMERICA! Thanks for this excellent post, Steve. It is time to reignite that great American spirit.
LikeLike
BTW, Steve. Here is an interesting bit of history I found at American Thinker about the Delaware delegate Caesar Rodney:
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/07/hail_caesar_rodney_an_american_hero.html
LikeLike
Thanks for the link, I will check it out.
LikeLike
You are welcome, and you are right, it is time to reawaken the American spirit and take our country back.
LikeLike
This is why we need to fill the halls of Congress and the White house with Veterans. Coming up on 10 years of wars our Military is creating the next “Great Generation” and unlike career politicians, lawyers, and community organizers, our Vets were willing to sacrifice their lives for the love of our Country and its freedoms, that latter will sacrifice our liberty and sovereignty for love of power and being elected.
Great post Steve, have a great Independence Day!
LikeLike
Well said and thank you. You are right, we need to elect people who will put the country above their power or re-election.
LikeLike
Thanks for this Steve – outstanding post. And Happy Fourth of July to All.
LikeLike
Thank you, I hope you had a great Fourth.
LikeLike
Thanks for a great reminder of what we are all about, Hope you have a great day.
LikeLike
Thanks, I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July!
LikeLike
Nicely done
A happy Independence day to you and yours, Steve
RR
LikeLike
Thanks you, I hope that your Fourth was great as well.
LikeLike
Cheers on this 4th!
LikeLike
Thanks, and cheers to you as well!
LikeLike
We had our celebration last night, over 10K attended, and that is AWESOME for a town of 50K…
A great Independence Day to ALL Americans and Conservatives… God Bless America, one more time… Maybe we won’t mess it up this time…
LikeLike
Glad to hear you had such a great showing.
LikeLike
Great post. mandatory reading. Happy Fourth of July.
LikeLike
Thank you and I hope your Fourth was a happy one as well.
LikeLike
Fantastic post Steve. It is the ideas that created this country. And, it is those same ideas that terrify the left.
LikeLike
Thank you, the ideas of freedoms and liberties without the held of the government does terrify the left because it would make them less powerful, this is why they try to hide the constitution from our children.
LikeLike
Great post Steve! I have seen this episode before. It really gave you the feeling of just how intense the moment was knowing they were all committing high treason and there was no turning back.
LikeLike
Thanks, I think that video did capture what the tension in the room must have been like after the vote. An amazing mini-series!
LikeLike