Happy Independence Day!
As most of us know, John Adams, the second President of the United States had a real flair for the pomp, pageantry, and display for ceremonies and celebrations. Indeed, upon the first drafts of the U.S. Constitution, President Adams made no qualms about this notion: He felt that the President of the new republic should be addressed as ‘His Excellency’ and demanding an almost divinity for these individuals.
If John Adams, one of our nation’s Founding Fathers, had his way, we would be celebrating our Independence Day two days earlier, on July 2. It was on that date, July 2, that Congress approved in a secret session a resolution of independence that legally separated the American colonies from Great Britain.
In one of his many letters to his wife, Abigail, John Adams seems as jubilant as a school child on the last day of school: From the letter:
Adams envisioned lots of pomp and parades, celebratory gunfire and bonfires from one corner of the new nation to the other.
Well, he got the parades and the pomp correct. But Americans decided otherwise, choosing to party on July 4, the date shown on another historic document, the Declaration of Independence, which Thomas Jefferson helped to craft.
In sync with Adams’ wishes, Independence Day celebrations will indeed span our Nation; therefore, let’s take some time to reflect on our qualities as a Nation; moreover, remember all of those in and out of uniform who have served this country and assisted making her what she is today. Happy Independence Day!
