Happy Fourth of July

Grill up some hotdogs, make a dip with chips and a red white and blue dessert, it's time to celebrate the fourth of July, our Independence Day.  It is the birthday of our great nation, a cause for revelry. 

 A Little of the History of Independence Day History.com

When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, independence from Great Britain was a radical idea.  By the middle of the following year, however, many more colonists had come to favor independence. 

On June 7, when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the colonies’ independence. 

Amid heated debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee’s resolution, but appointed a five-man committee—including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York—to draft a formal statement justifying the break with Great Britain.Read more about 7 Events That Enraged Colonists and Led to the American Revolution

On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee’s resolution for independence in a near-unanimous vote. On that day, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 “will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival” and that the celebration should include “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.” 

On July 4th, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which had been written largely by Jefferson. Though the vote for actual independence took place on July 2nd, from then on the 4th became the day that was celebrated as the birth of American independence.

After the Revolutionary War, Americans continued to commemorate Independence Day every year, in celebrations that allowed the new nation’s emerging political leaders to address citizens and create a feeling of unity. 

Let's remember all those who gave their lives to the preservation of America, the greatest nation.  We started as a "grand experiment in democracy" according to Alexander Hamilton.  My wish for this fourth is for us to rekindle a spirit of unity. Unity is not sameness, it is working together for a common good.  Unity is critical for forward movement in families and nations.  It is great to be a part of this melting pot of people.  Enjoy your celebration.

Moving forward,

Jeff Roach

www.brooketraining.com