The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
It is the most important document in our history, more so than the Constitution.
Without it, the United States Constitution wouldn’t have been thought about, let alone written. And it was the first of several founding documents. Unlike the other founding documents, the Declaration of Independence is not legally binding, but it is powerful. Abraham Lincoln called it “a rebuke and a stumbling-block to tyranny and oppression.” It continues to inspire people around the world to fight for freedom and equality.
If you think about it, the Declaration of Independence was the first American Freedom Pronouncement.
Red, White, and *bOoM*, per se!
July 1, 1776
#OTD in 1776, 248 years ago, it was a Monday. [I looked it up so you didn’t haveta] It’s another Monday, but without the Declaration of Independence there wouldn’t be a “United States of America”. I realize under the litany of examinations that statement is a misnomer. For argument’s sake, let’s accept it at face value and move forward.
Granted the day of focus is July 4, 1776 – the birthdate of America
Regardless, I will review the days leading up to that date, because it just didn’t happen all of sudden. On July 1, 1776, Continental Congress reconvened. The following day, the Lee Resolution for independence was adopted by 12 of the 13 colonies, New York not voting. Immediately afterward, the Congress began to consider the Declaration. Adams and Franklin had made only a few changes before the committee submitted the document.
Most Americans are gearing up days before Independence Day. I remember my summer days vividly.
By the end of June, Washington State schools are closed for the summer. Even with catchup days, it still never went beyond June 28. So in essence, the students of the area were “FREE”. We played Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” As you can imagine, as a child growing up in a cul-de-sac in Mountlake Terrace, WA, USA, was a blast.
Throughout the school year, I was a latchkey kid with my sister as my responsibility. During the summer days, my tasks were more broad, and vague, with … “bring your sister everywhere you go”.
[‘Latchkey’ refers to the key that children need to enter an empty house. Latchkey kids are kids between the ages of 5 and 13 who take care of themselves with no adult supervision before and after school on a regular basis.]
As a 10-year old, I didn’t prefer my little sister bugging me! I also knew the repercussions of not doing said task by the slightest mention from my sister to our parents. And the end of June, we pedaled our Huffy bicycles around the neighborhood we would start our reconnaissance of the area businesses parking lots for fireworks stands being staged for setup.
We would report back to the older kids in our ‘hood, like 2-wheeled scouts in a war.
I would plan my finances around this time of year. I understood it was pure self-discipline to have a mason jar fill up of money only to spent on fireworks and firecrackers. I would earn a few dollars here and there, a majority of it was from lawn mowing by toting around the family lawn mower with a string tied to my Huffy bike.
The moment firework stands opened, we were there! My little sister rarely had any money, so I shared in the sense of I would buy mutually liked items like paper tanks, flying bees, Saturn Missile batteries. While many smells of those days were remembered, the smell of a burning punk was distinctive. Nothing like it on Spaceship Earth, and it’s not mistaken what it was.
With limited resources of money, and storage, Charrina and I [yours truly] planned out the days leading up to the family trip to the “rez”. July 1st was generally when I allowed myself to a staged lighting off fireworks, and/or firecrackers from my stockpile in our bedroom – we shared a room until the ages of 11, 13 respectively.
Our room would smell like carbon, lithium, sulfur, mixed in with dirty laundry for a couple of weeks.
July 2, 1776
Officially, the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, when it voted to approve a resolution submitted by delegate Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, declaring “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.”
John Adams thought July 2 would be marked as a national holiday for generations to come:
“[Independence Day] will be the most memorable Epocha, 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 solemnized with Pomp and Parade with shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this continent to the other from this Time forward forever more,” Adams wrote.
After voting on independence on July 2, the Continental Congress then needed to draft a document explaining the move to the public. It had been proposed in draft form by the Committee of Five (John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson) and it took two days for the Congress to agree on the edits.
Once the Congress approved the actual Declaration of Independence document on July 4, it ordered that it be sent to a printer named John Dunlap. About 200 copies of the “Dunlap Broadside” version of the document were printed, with John Hancock’s name printed at the bottom. Today, 26 copies remain.
That is why the Declaration has the words, “IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776,” at its top, because that is the day the approved version was signed in Philadelphia.
Boom City Fireworks – Tulalip Reservation
The address of 10274 27th Ave NE, Tulalip, WA 98271 for Boom City Fireworks usually only exists mid-June to July 4 of any given year. At some point, Dad would load up the family vehicle to make it a day-trip to visit the Tulalip Reservation, or otherwise known to us as BOOM CITY! It was definitely done with two days before the 4th.
My sister and Mom would find a place to set up folding chairs, etc, while Dad and I sought out our 4th of July fun. Most of the booths I could barely reach or see over the wooden counter. My Dad would pretend to listen to my suggestions like a fireworks counselor. He understood that it was important to make me feel included in the decision-making process.
I remember one year when I requested M-80’s, and anything stronger in explosive power, the salesman asked if I was a vice cop. My eyebrows furrowed, I’m 14 years old. I don’t even drive yet.
July 3, 1776
On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote two letters to his beloved Abigail exuberantly reporting that history had been made: One day earlier, the Continental Congress had voted to declare American independence from the British Empire. Henceforth, Adams predicted, July 2 would be celebrated by every generation with parades, speeches, songs and what he called “illuminations.” He got everything right, even the fireworks. But he got the date wrong.
Or perhaps we get the date wrong. The widespread assumption is that the Fourth of July is the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, the actual moment the founders pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the Great Question of Independence.
The popular musical “1776” dramatically depicts a signing ceremony on the Fourth. And the iconic painting “Declaration of Independence,” by John Trumbull, a version of which hangs in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, is often captioned “July 4, 1776.”
To the neighborhood kids, and myself, it was the penultimate day before the BIG DAY. So in a coordinated fashion, I would drag the remaining fireworks stockpile out to our lawn. I would patiently wait for the other kids to do the same.
Our parents had their stockpile, too, but we knew damn well that it wouldn’t be until tomorrow night. In a child’s mind, that’s forever to wait.
July 4, 1776
The Declaration of Independence was sent to the printer on July 4, 1776. Most of the delegates to the Second Continental Congress signed the document on August 2, 1776. By putting their names on this paper, these men risked losing everything if the British won the American Revolution.
It was the first American Freedom Pronouncement!
Well, happy birthday, the Red, White, and *bOoM*. Time to celebrate in grand style. We would start grilling mid-day, with soda for the children, day-drinking beer for the adults. It was the agonizing wait until sunset in the Pacific Northwest, at least for me!
The night finally falls. The lawn chairs, blankets, sparklers in the ground are deployed. The one-time of year when the families of the cul-de-sac would positively interact albeit for a couple hours. But still, it made my heart happy.
So, Spaceship Earth, what are your thoughts on America’s birthday? What are you doing to celebrate 248th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, America’s First Freedom Pronouncement? Drop a line in the comments.
los, Fil-Am Renaissance Man 