Most people in the United States celebrate the 4th of July with barbecues, picnics and family gatherings, but do you know exactly why the holiday is so important to our country? Imagine how you would feel if someone older than you (maybe an older sister or brother) kept telling you what to do all of the time and kept taking more and more of your allowance. That is how the colonists felt in the years leading up to 1776. Great Britain kept trying to make the colonists follow more rules and pay higher taxes. People started getting mad and began making plans to be able to make their own rules. They no longer wanted Great Britain to be able to tell them what to do, so they decided to tell Great Britain that they were becoming an independent country. (To be independent means to take care of yourself, making your own rules and providing for your own needs.)
The Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they appointed a committee to write a formal document that would tell Great Britain that the Americans had decided to govern themselves. The committee asked Thomas Jefferson to write a draft of the document, so he worked for days, in absolute secret, until he had written a document that he thought said everything important that the committee had discussed. On June 28, 1776, the committee met to read Jefferson's "fair" copy. They revised the document and declared their independence on July 2, 1776. They officially adopted it on July 4, 1776. That is why we call it "Independence Day."
The Declaration of Independence is more than just a piece of paper. It is a symbol of our country's independence and commitment to certain ideas.
Also I wanted to share something that someone wrote that really meant alot to me and the rest of my family. My cousins grandfather "GrandPaw England" (who has already gone to be with the Lord) wrote hundreds and hundreds of pages in a journal for more than 25 years after he retired. Here is something he wrote on one 4th of July Morning. I really think it gives us all alittle something to think about:
This is an excerpt from one of his Journals dated July 4th 2000 and July 4th 2006
Good Morning Mr. 4th of July. You are our Independence Day. Some 224 years ago today we become a Nation, "The United States of America". We are thankful, Dear Father that you have blessed us along the way. I myself "Claud D. England" have had almost 77 years of this 224 years. This is almost 1..3 of the time our nation has been born. My question today is, "How have I, as a member of this Great Nation, made it a better place to live. Will my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren- stand tall and say, Claud D. England left an example of a good citizen".
I've been thinking about My freedom of speech? Is it truth the words I speak? Do I check my tongue before I utter words about my neighbor? Is my heavenly Father pleased with my words coming from my lips?
My Grandson "Brandon England" do I thank him enough for the job he is doing in the Army. Can I imagine the tough times our armed forces are having in Iraq.
My prayer is that the World's Nations would turn to God and live a life that would measure up to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Good law abiding people make a good nation. Our job in this good old USA is to make good, fair, and honest laws that can be respected and stand for what is right.
We hope everyone has a Safe and Happy 4th of July, Love you all Angela & Kason
2 comments:
You just so made me cry at work...I miss him so much and I know that he loved all of you as well... Thanks For putting that out for others to read... he was a wise man and didn't realize the words he wrote on those lazy mornings on the porch would mean so much to so many... Love ya Amy
This was a GREAT post. Thanks for sharing and helping us all remember what Independence Day is really all about.
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