Happy Fourth!!!
It’s July already, the year is flying by. Of course, the big event for July is Independence Day. The vote was taken on the 2nd of July, 1776, but we have adopted the date written atop the Declaration of Independence as our holiday. When reading up on the events, an unusual coincidence came up. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, two of the founding fathers and signers, not only were the only two to become president, but both died July 4, 1826 exactly 50 years later.
After years of conflicting views, John Adams vowed to outlive Jefferson. On his deathbed, Adams is rumored to have been troubled that Jefferson would indeed have the last word. A rider was dispatched to take the news of his death to Jefferson and passed the rider bringing the news of Jefferson’s passing to Adams’ home. Where were the conspiracy theorists then?
How have we celebrated the holiday in the past? History says:
In 1777, Philadelphia celebrated the first anniversary in a manner a modern American would find quite familiar: an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades, troop reviews, and fireworks. Ships were decked with red, white, and blue bunting.
In 1778, George Washington marked the day with a double ration of rum for his soldiers. Three years later, Massachusetts became the first state to celebrate the 4th officially.
In 1791 the first recorded use of the name “Independence Day”
In 1870, the US Congress made Independence Day an unpaid holiday for federal employees.
In 1931, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday. And in 2009. the Lowcountry will have celebrations galore, from family outings to major municipal productions, with bands, fireworks and lots of people. Be careful and
enjoy the day.
Filed under: Uncategorized on June 30th, 2009
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