“Independence Forever!” | thenationalpatriot.com

Be sure to Click LIKE at the bottom of this article, and share it everywhere!!

By Craig Andresen – Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

On July 4^th, we celebrate our nation’s birth and this year, 2018, it will be the 242nd time we have done so but that date, while by no means suspect, should be seen in context. One of our founders thought the celebration would occur on a different date and he, in no uncertain terms, put it in writing using the social media of the day.

The date was July 1st, 1776 when John Adams,a prolific letter writer and a visionary founder of our nation penned a letter to his wife Abigail. Adams, in which he made what at the time was a series of bold predictions.

“The second day of July, 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.”

Adams missed the mark by 2 days, believing that the day the document was presented to the Continental Congress, not the day it would be adopted, would be the celebratory day, but this excerpt from a simple letter offers much more, I believe, than a 48 hour premature pronouncement of celebration.

While we all know a great deal about the founding of our nation it is this letter which caught my attention. This letter, I submit, is a look behind the scenes and provides a fresh look at how one of our founders perceived the moment.

I’ll return to this letter after a look at the historical context which encouraged Adams to put his pen to parchment.

The events which led to the writing of this letter had been set into motion many years earlier. The 13 colonies had, for some time, been at odds with England over increasing taxation and a lack of representation. What this means is that while citizens of the colonies were forced to pay ever rising taxes on commodities, not a single member of the colony’s citizenry had a say in the process and thus, unrest had been growing.

In 1774, the first Continental Congress was formed as delegates went to Philadelphia. Those delegates, from all 13 colonies, while agonizing over England’s control, were not of a mind yet, to commit to war. They were a year away and a few major events from that position.

Fearing an uprising, England’s King George III had for several years, been sending troops to the colonies to quiet those whose voices were being heard but the colonies would not be held silent. In late 1775, the Parliament passed the American Prohibitory Act making forfeit all American cargo and ships to the British Crown.

At the same time, the Continental Congress was taking upon itself the duties of a national government and had already established its own currency, an army of sorts and a postal entity. The Privateering Resolution, in the early spring of 1776, allowed the colonists “to fit out armed vessels to cruize [sic] on the enemies of these United Colonies.” This, in effect, established the American Navy…a navy of privateers or…pirates…for lack of a better term.

When England sent their army to take Concord, Paul Revere made his famous ride of warning and the “shot heard around the world” was fired in 1775 and the war for independence was officially begun but still, delegates from what was now the 2^nd Continental Congress preferred diplomacy over war and to that end, they attempted, in futility, to change the course of England’s iron control over the colonies.

By early June, 1776, independence was the cry and delegates, knowing war was inevitable, had made their decision. Richard Henry Lee, on June 7^th, while standing in what is now Independence Hall read a proclamation stating, “Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

The delegates were divided and Congress went into a 3 week recess to allow the delegates to fully consider their votes. It was then that what may well be the most astute committee in history, a committee of five men, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman, and chaired by Thomas Jefferson was formed to draw upon their wisdom and write a formal declaration.

Jefferson later wrote of the process, that the other 4 committee Members, “unanimously pressed on myself alone to undertake the draught [sic]. I consented; I drew it; but before I reported it to the committee I communicated it separately to Dr. Franklin and Mr. Adams requesting their corrections. . . I then wrote a fair copy, reported it to the committee, and from them, unaltered to the Congress.”

In this short note, written by Jefferson, is contained further valuable insight into the mind and vision of John Adams to which I will also return.

On July 2^nd, 1776 the document was considered and through the morning of July 4^th, slight revisions were made. By late in the morning of July 4^th, the Declaration of Independence had been formally adopted.

Of the 56 names signed to the document, only 2 signed on July 4^th 1776, those being John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed nearly a month later on August 2^nd and the last to sign was Thomas McKean who had left to join Washington’s army and did not, until 5 years later, realize he had forgotten to add his signature. Aside from Hancock and Thomson, the names of the signers was held in secret for more than a year as substantial rewards had been offered by the Crown for these men of history as they were considered to be traitors.

By late afternoon on July 4^th, 1776, a Philadelphia printer, John Dunlap, had produced 200 copies to be distributed throughout the colonies and in celebration that day, church bells rang throughout Philadelphia as did the Province Bell which later would become known as the Liberty Bell.

The original document, which Jefferson had referred to as a “fair copy” complete with the slight revisions and deletions was quickly lost and the one bearing the 56 signatures was a clean copy produced by Dunlap.

This document, the Declaration of Independence, which boldly gave birth to a nation by separating 13 colonies from England, was written in just 3 weeks and would lead to the war of revolution and the most profound and visionary document the world has ever seen…our Constitution.

Now, back to the letter Adams penned to his wife. In his time, the writing of letters was the equivalent of today’s social media. Today, a phone call, text, Facebook or Twiiter message would accomplish the task but then, in 1776, a hand written letter or note conveyed the message of the day. We have the distinct advantage, due to John Adams’ celebrity, to have had those letters preserved and through them, this one in particular, we get a rare glimpse of several indelible concepts. Again, let’s read the excerpt before taking it apart bit by bit.

I believe the date of July 2^nd, mentioned by Adams was a rare reflection of profound excitement in that he believed that the date on which the document was presented would be the date of its future celebration instead of the date upon which it was adopted. I believe also that we can forgive his exuberance.

But this letter shows more…much more.

At the moment the Declaration was adopted, certainly all who were in attendance and all who heard the proclamation knew that the first and most dire result would be war with England who at the time boasted, and rightly so, of the most powerful army on earth and clearly of the most well equipped and largest navy ever assembled. For the newly born nation of America, an undisciplined ragtag army of farmers, shop keepers and average citizens and a few haphazardly armed ships crewed by privateers comprised our fighting force. It should have been a route by the British.

What this letter shows is what Adams clearly knew to be the heart and resolve of a new nation. In stating the day would be celebrated by “succeeding generations” is testament to his profound vision that despite the staggering odds, America would defeat the British and win independence from them.

John Adams believed that the holiday celebrating our nation’s birth should include… pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, an uncanny and accurate prediction of the way we celebrate Independence Day every year…but there is more…

Adams ends this excerpt from the letter to Abigail with what may well be the MOST profound statement of all…” from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

From one end of this continent to the other.

From the time of this statement in writing, it would be 28 years before Lewis and Clark would journey, at the direction of President Thomas Jefferson, to the west coast across more than half an unknown and unsettled continent from one end to the other. Clearly others had seen the “other end” of the continent but not Americans, yet Adams knew, in 1776, that we would.

Adams and his visionary pronouncement allowed for this nation to grow, settle and expand past the known. It allowed for the winning of the revolutionary war and the war of 1812 when the British would attempt to regain custody of America. It would allow for the challenge of civil war and 2 world wars. It would allow too for the addition of 37 more states.

Adams knew intuitively that our Nation, our grand experiment would survive. He knew that despite differences, this nation would be celebrated not just by those who gave it life but by all generations later to come.

It is both safe and accurate to say that now, some 242 years later, our constitution is under attack from within. The differences of political opinion have some believing that the constitution is a thing of the past and no longer viable. To their ends, they would impose upon the citizens many of the same ideas from which we declared our independence in 1776 and therefore, I contend, our Declaration of Independence also is under attack.

If against us are levied higher and higher taxes by officials who ignore the will of the people, if our freedoms are to be infringed upon by government then we, as a people, will no longer BE independent. Instead we will be DEPENDENT upon government and is that NOT the very thing we sought to remove ourselves from in 1776?

Okay, now let’s look again at that note penned by Jefferson when he wrote that the other 4 men on the esteemed committee “unanimously pressed on myself alone to undertake the draught [sic]. I consented; I drew it; but before I reported it to the committee I communicated it separately to Dr. Franklin and Mr. Adams requesting their corrections. . . I then wrote a fair copy, reported it to the committee, and from them, unaltered to the Congress.”

The insight penned here, into John Adams, is nearly hidden but none the less, remarkable.

While the committee included Adams, he and Jefferson were not friends. Their differences were political and at the time, on nearly opposite ends of the spectrum. While Adams and Jefferson were in accord on the founding of our nation the two had little use for one another after that and became bitter political rivals rarely speaking to each other. That Adams would be in total, “unanimous” agreement that his opposite should be the one to write the Declaration of Independence, speaks volumes. That Jefferson would seek the approval of Adams before introducing the declaration to the Continental Congress is telling of the regard each had for the other.

Jefferson most likely was seen as the intellect and Adams…the conscience and both of them realized that while on opposite ends of politics, the founding of a nation meant to survive for all time, would require both men’s talents from the onset. In this regard, despite their divide, the two were bound together for all time.

Adams and Jefferson both died, somehow appropriately, on the 50^th anniversary of our nation’s founding, July 4^th, 1826. Adams did not know, in the late afternoon of his last day, that Jefferson had died just hours before and after making his last toast to our most celebrated day, Adams uttered his final words, filled with disdain, in regard to his fellow visionary. “Jefferson survives.”

As we make plans for the celebration of the 4^th of July with family and friends…celebrations which are sure to include, “pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations..” why not set aside a moment, somewhere amid the fun, to propose the toast that Adams gave just hours before his death?

So, what was that last toast?

“Independence Forever!”

-John Adams July 4^th, 1826

*************************************************************************************************
For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Diane Sori’s’s blog The Patriot Factor to read her latest article On The Birth Of Our Nation

************************************************************************************************* RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS…LIVE!

Today, Tuesday, July 3rd from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori present their Independence Day Special replete with articles and July 4th fun facts.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history