Happy Independence Day!
Unlike Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day — solemn occasions for Americans — Independence Day is a time of celebration. It has been that way for 243 years.
Locally, families will celebrate with cookouts. At Watauga Lake, there will be a boat parade Wednesday afternoon. The Elizabethton Twins will celebrate with fireworks at their game with the Kingsport Mets Wednesday evening.
Celebration is part of the Fourth. It always has been.
According to History.com, in the summer of 1776, some colonists celebrated the birth of independence by holding mock funerals for King George III as a way of symbolizing the end of the monarchy’s hold on America and the triumph of liberty.
The celebrations continued during the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence, beginning immediately after its adoption. Concerts, bonfires and parades were held. Cannons and muskets were fired.
History.com states that even George Washington got swept up in the merriment. During the Revolutionary War, in 1778, Washington is said to have issued double rations of rum to all his soldiers to mark the anniversary of independence.
Fast-forward to present day, and the revelry continues on the Fourth of July, our most patriotic holiday. There are parades, barbecues and fireworks, and lots of flag-waving.
Independence Day is a celebration, just as it was in 1776, so enjoy the festivities today, but take a moment to remember why we celebrate — the Declaration of Independence.
For those men in Philadelphia it was an act of extraordinary bravery to sign their names to the declaration. In 1776, England was the most powerful nation on earth. The colonists knew the English king would not meekly accept a rebellion. They knew a terribly costly and bloody war would follow, and that it would be fought in the land where their families lived. But the colonists were resolved: They would risk their lives to rid themselves of the heavy yoke of England and govern themselves instead.
It was a time of conflict and tension. But the men and women of the new United States worked together to drive the British from the new country. Then they went on to draft a Constitution that has preserved hard-won freedoms.
After 243 years, the nation that was born in that distant July is still clanking along, governing itself and influencing all the nations of the world by its decisions and actions. The United States is a rarity among nations, surviving deep disagreements between regions, between races and between genders to prosper still, well into a third century of liberty. The country has survived contentious elections, riots, world wars and its own devastating civil war, which removed the terrible curse of slavery.
It hasn’t been a smooth ride. The 243rd year has been coarser, angrier and more erratic than most. As we begin Year 244, public trust in elected officials is low. Leading institutions, from the presidency, to Congress, to the news media, are widely distrusted. With a president venting his wrath about everything, many are expressing concern about what they see happening in America. Some have sought to replace reasoned debate with riots and violence, undermining our society.
But this experiment in independence and self-governance is still working, if imperfectly. A system of checks and balances is helping to restrain power and permit the people’s will to be expressed through elections.
One thing we’ve learned on this bumpy ride from the 18th century is that Americans are survivors. We argue among ourselves like the most dysfunctional family you can imagine, yet, we manage to keep going.
That’s why July 4, 1776, still feels like a miracle. From a fractious time, in a precarious place, our forefathers and foremothers breathed life into a new nation that still survives — even flourishes.
We are thankful for America, our freedom, of the bravery of those who have spoke out against injustice and for freedom, and have defended our freedom.
Enjoy July 4th, celebrate America’s freedom.