Before the festivities begin, I just want to stop a minute and wish you a good July 4th! I hope your day includes a noisy parade and noisier fireworks. I think once in a while we just need to cast aside our grown-up personas and show off that kid hiding inside. Ok, maybe I do that more than once in a while! So get out there and waste your allowance on fireworks, get a little BBQ sauce on your chin (and shirt!), join in the watermelon seed spitting contest, and sport that silly Uncle Sam hat.
In the spirit of the day, I did a little checking about the history of Independence Day. Guess what? They didn’t tell us the whole story in grade school! In case you’re interested, read on to find out what I discovered:
The original resolution (to cut the apron strings from Mother Britain) was introduced to the Continental Congress on June 17, 1776.
Then Thomas Jefferson and a willing committee put their heads together to polish up a formal writing for the grand announcement.
The actual resolution was approved on July 2 but the Declaration of Independence (a separate document) was adopted on July 4, 1776.
It took days, weeks, and in one case, years before all the signatures on the Declaration were in place. Thomas McKean didn’t get his signature on the page until 1781!
Exactly one year after the Declaration was approved, Philadelphia held a huge birthday party for the infant republic. But the first official (by legislative act) celebration was held in 1781 in Massachusetts.
OK, ok, class is over. Now, grab your friends and head to Jefferson Barracks for fireworks; go downtown to watch the parade, air show, catch a concert under the majestic Gateway Arch; or stay close to home and enjoy your local community events. Independence is worth celebrating! And no place has more to ways to celebrate than St. Louis!
Kirk McCullen - St. Louis Living 