Fortunately for all of us, the Cold War ended not with a bang but with a whimper. It is surprising, however, that its cessation inspired so little elation.
First two sentences from the introduction to Paul Anthony Rahe’s Soft Despotism, Democracy’s Drift: Montesquieu, Rousseau, Tocqueville & The Modern Prospect (2009).
July Fourth events include:
1054 – A supernova was spotted by Chinese, Arab, and possibly Amerindian observers. The celestial event occurred near the star Zeta Tauri, remaining, for several months, bright enough to be seen during the day. Its remnants form the Crab Nebula.
1776 — The Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, thus formalizing its policy of secession from the rule of the Kingdom of Great Britain.
1803 — The Louisiana Purchase was announced to the American people.
1804 – Nathaniel Hawthorne, American author of The Scarlet Letter, House of Seven Gables, The Blithesdale Romance, and other classics, was born. Hawthorne became part of the Young America literary movement spawned by Loco-Foco political activism in New England.
1826 – Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, died a few hours before John Adams, second president of the United States, on the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the United States’ Declaration of Independence.
1826 – Stephen Foster, composer of “Old Black Joe,” “Beautiful Dreamer,” and many other classic American songs, was born.
1827 – Slavery was abolished in New York State.
1831 – Samuel Francis Smith wrote “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” for Boston’s July 4th festivities, set to the tune of Great Britain’s national anthem, “God Save the King/Queen.”
2009 – The Statue of Liberty’s crown re-opened to the public after eight years of closure that resulted from security concerns following the September 11, 2001, attacks.
But so was yesterday.
It was in the papers:
This day the Continental Congress declared the United Colonies Free and Independent States.
Pennsylvania Evening Post, July 2, 1776.
For it was two days before revising and accepting Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence that Congress officially declared its independence from King George III.
This Common Sense site has explained this quirk of history before. The Lee Resolution of July 2 declared that
Congress also commanded that a declaration be drawn up, and it was done quickly, accepted two days later.
The confederation document, on the other hand, took another year to work up, and four years beyond that to adopt.
John Adams, for all his faults as the Second President under the later U.S. Constitution, was a true friend of liberty and regarded the day as historic. “The second day of July, 1776,” he prophesied, writing to his wife on July 3, 1776,
will be the most memorable epoch 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 commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.
He was off by two days. It was the Fourth that would be celebrated.
Fifty years later he was off by much less: he died on July 4, 1826, uttering “Thomas — Jefferson — still surv —”
Jefferson had died a few hours earlier.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.
President Gerald R. Ford, Jr., address to a joint session of Congress (August 12, 1974).
July 3 marks the 1947 birthday of Dave Barry (pictured), American columnist and author.
Five years later on the same date, Puerto Rico’s Constitution was approved by the Congress of the United States.
Our leaders, our legislators — they call each other experts, but…
The word “listen” contains the
same letters as the word “silent.”
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress un-tabled the Lee Resolution and voted to sever ties with the Kingdom of Great Britain.
One year later, to the day, Vermont became the first American territory to abolish slavery.
You know who we are talking about: our legislators.
The man
Percy Bysshe Shelley, Queen Mab (1813), Canto III.
Of virtuous soul commands not, nor obeys.