Richard Henry Lee Helped Get These Stars & Stripes Rolling

Of course we all love a good BBQ, gathering with our friends and family and watching fireworks, but how did the 4th of July start and why do we partake in these things?

When we are in grade school we learn that the 4th of July has something to do with George Washington and the official break of the US colonies from British rule.  And that’s true.  But here’s a little refresher on how our great nation of the United States came to be.

Below info by the author, LB Cobb

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, read a resolution before the Continental Congress “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.

After a few days of debate, on June 11, 1776, the Congress appointed five delegates to draft a resolution that recognized the specific concerns. The “Committee of Five” — John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, and Thomas Jefferson — all very eloquent men, went to work. On July 2, the revised “Lee Resolution” was read to the Congress and immediately adopted by 12 of the 13 colonies (New York did not vote). Minor alterations were made on July 2, 3, and the morning of the 4th. Then, late in the afternoon of July 4, the Declaration was officially adopted.

And there you have it.  Once the Declaration of Independence was signed it was time to party.  This letter by John Adams to his wife Abigail sums it up (of course it ended up being the 4th of July but who’s really counting?)

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more^.”

**While we all celebrate our independence today let’s remember to tip our hats to the radical Richard Henry Lee.  He was fiercely devoted to the welfare of his country and without his gall, spirit and pride in this great land, our history, most assuredly wouldn’t be the same.