Sometimes it’s the weirdest things that stick in my mind over the course of the day. I have to wonder if I just think too much, but I am who I am- what I am- and you all love me for it.
Throughout the day I’ve heard many people say “Happy Independence Day” or “Happy Birthday, America.” Honestly, the only truly accurate phrase said all day was “Happy Fourth of July”. That’s an indisputable fact, as today is the fourth day of July (that arbitrary, man-made collection of 12 stapled sheets on my kitchen wall tells me so). The other two cheers are a bit more ambiguous depending on your point of view and who you ask. It’s generally assumed that the Fourth of July is the day of America’s independence/birth, but put into a proper historical context that assumption isn’t so crystal clear.
Most Americans believe that our nation’s birth date is synonymous with the Declaration of Independence, a speech that was given on July 4, 1776. Set aside for a moment that the Declaration was an affirmation and announcement of planned sedition and high treason against the ruling government (a crime punishable by death by some of the most gruesome methods imaginable), which means that, in a sense, our most prized day is one that is about subversion against the status quo. That hardly seems one and the same as “patriotic”. July 4 was the date that the speech was merely released to the public. It wasn’t signed by all 13 colonies and ratified into an official, collective declaration of rebellion until August 2, 1776; so some could argue that we should be holding off the festivities until then.
The following year the Articles of Confederation were established to bring the various colonies under a unified banner for the remainder of the Revolutionary War. That reminds me- as long as we’re talking about proper historical context,- it might be interesting to note that this war was actually the nation’s first ‘civil war’ because the idea of sedition pitted brother against brother and family against family. But, I digress…
The British surrendered in 1781. Should we then come to think of that year as the birth of the nation? Maybe; maybe not. After all, battles continued after surrender up until the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, marking the formal end to the war between England and the new world.
Okay, so September 3rd is the real date, then. We can light the candles and fireworks now, right?
Not so fast.
Between May 14, 1787, and September 17, 1787, the Philadelphia Convention took place to debate and clarify the basic structure of the young government. During that time, on July 13, 1787, the Northwest Ordinance was drafted which formally established the United States as a sovereign international government. This document is also known as the Freedom Ordinance and by its official title, “An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, Northwest of the River Ohio”. Yeesh, isn’t that a mouthful?!
Ah, so July 13, 1787, is the nation’s birthday!
Nope. Again, not so fast, as the Ordinance wasn’t signed into law until George Washington did so on August 7, 1789. So, I would put to you that this date is the true birth date of the United States of America.
There’s a handful of equally valid dates to choose from, so whichever date you chose is fine by me.
In all of this, I merely wanted to help you appreciate some of the history behind one of the holidays that we take for granted, because no one seems to understand or care anymore why we celebrate a holiday. It’s just another excuse to party. There’s also that factoid that holiday is actually a contradiction of holy day, but that’s a subject for another time.
Whatever the origins, and whatever the customs- both traditional and modern- the one enduring component in all of them is a sense of friends and family. Holidays are a time to enjoy what is truly the most important gift of life- sharing joy. So tonight as you watch the fireworks, drink, eat, and make merry, raise your glass and be thankful that you are healthy and safe, surrounded by those whom you hold dear.
Yes, I think too much, but I pride myself on that.
© 2013 R. Wolf Baldassarro/Deep Forest Productions
*Note: This article was revised from its original version July 4, 2016.
