This website is being maintained
in memory of Tom Hennessy
who
made the site possible
JULY
Some thoughts on the 4th of July...
Independence Day has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of independence day celebrations goes back to the 18th
century and the American Revolution.
When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists wanted complete independence from Great Britain, and those who
did were considered "radicals." Thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments expressed by Thomas Paine in his
pamphlet "Common Sense" the feeling in the country changed and more wanted independence. On June 7th when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania
State House, the Virginia delegate, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for independence. A heated debate arose, and Congress postponed a vote
on Lee's resolution, appointing a five-man committee including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert Livingston to
draft a statement justifying the break with Great Britain.
On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee's resolution in a near unanimous vote. On that day, John Adams wrote his wife Abigail that
July 2 "will be celebrated by future generations as the great festival, and will be accompanied by pomp and parades, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and
illuminations from one end of this continent to the other." (In the pre-revolutionary years, colonists had held annual celebrations of the king's birthday,
which included the ringing of bells, bonfires, processions, and speech making.
By contrast, during the summer of 1776, some colonists celebrated the birth of independence by holding mock funerals for King George III) Philadelphia held
the first commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777 while Congress was still fighting the war. George Washington issued double rations of rum to all his
soldiers to mark the anniversary of independence in 1778-three years before the end of the war. Massachusetts was the first state to make July 4th an official
state holiday. John Adams believed that July 2nd was the correct date to celebrate American independence and he refused to celebrate it on the 4th in protest.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson BOTH died on July 4th, 1826 on the 50th anniversary of American independence. A coincidence or something else? Today the 4th of
July marks the beginning of summer, barbecues, and family outings. Enjoy...
Let's go!!!
in memory of Tom Hennessy who
made the site possible
JULY
Some thoughts on the 4th of July...
Independence Day has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of independence day celebrations goes back to the 18th
century and the American Revolution.
When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists wanted complete independence from Great Britain, and those who
did were considered "radicals." Thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments expressed by Thomas Paine in his
pamphlet "Common Sense" the feeling in the country changed and more wanted independence. On June 7th when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania
State House, the Virginia delegate, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for independence. A heated debate arose, and Congress postponed a vote
on Lee's resolution, appointing a five-man committee including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert Livingston to
draft a statement justifying the break with Great Britain.
On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee's resolution in a near unanimous vote. On that day, John Adams wrote his wife Abigail that
July 2 "will be celebrated by future generations as the great festival, and will be accompanied by pomp and parades, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and
illuminations from one end of this continent to the other." (In the pre-revolutionary years, colonists had held annual celebrations of the king's birthday,
which included the ringing of bells, bonfires, processions, and speech making.
By contrast, during the summer of 1776, some colonists celebrated the birth of independence by holding mock funerals for King George III) Philadelphia held
the first commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777 while Congress was still fighting the war. George Washington issued double rations of rum to all his
soldiers to mark the anniversary of independence in 1778-three years before the end of the war. Massachusetts was the first state to make July 4th an official
state holiday. John Adams believed that July 2nd was the correct date to celebrate American independence and he refused to celebrate it on the 4th in protest.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson BOTH died on July 4th, 1826 on the 50th anniversary of American independence. A coincidence or something else? Today the 4th of
July marks the beginning of summer, barbecues, and family outings. Enjoy...
Let's go!!!
Some thoughts on the 4th of July...
Independence Day has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of independence day celebrations goes back to the 18th
century and the American Revolution.
When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists wanted complete independence from Great Britain, and those who
did were considered "radicals." Thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments expressed by Thomas Paine in his
pamphlet "Common Sense" the feeling in the country changed and more wanted independence. On June 7th when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania
State House, the Virginia delegate, Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for independence. A heated debate arose, and Congress postponed a vote
on Lee's resolution, appointing a five-man committee including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert Livingston to
draft a statement justifying the break with Great Britain.
On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee's resolution in a near unanimous vote. On that day, John Adams wrote his wife Abigail that
July 2 "will be celebrated by future generations as the great festival, and will be accompanied by pomp and parades, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and
illuminations from one end of this continent to the other." (In the pre-revolutionary years, colonists had held annual celebrations of the king's birthday,
which included the ringing of bells, bonfires, processions, and speech making.
By contrast, during the summer of 1776, some colonists celebrated the birth of independence by holding mock funerals for King George III) Philadelphia held
the first commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777 while Congress was still fighting the war. George Washington issued double rations of rum to all his
soldiers to mark the anniversary of independence in 1778-three years before the end of the war. Massachusetts was the first state to make July 4th an official
state holiday. John Adams believed that July 2nd was the correct date to celebrate American independence and he refused to celebrate it on the 4th in protest.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson BOTH died on July 4th, 1826 on the 50th anniversary of American independence. A coincidence or something else? Today the 4th of
July marks the beginning of summer, barbecues, and family outings. Enjoy...
Let's go!!!