Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day to all my wonderful readers! I hope you are having a fun and safe Fourth of July with your families.

Almost all of you know the significance of this day in American history. Yet, since this is supposed to be a blog about history, I wanted to share some facts about the history behind the Declaration of Independence that you might not have known.

The Continental Congress actually voted for independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. The actual Declaration of Independence was adapted on the date we know as July 4, 1776, but only two of the fifty six of the Declaration's signers actually signed it on that day. The other fifty-four men signed it almost one month later, on August 2, 1776

After the British surrendered, the people of the new country of America celebrated July 4 as Independence Day mostly because that was the date written on the Declaration itself. John Adams, however, was of the opinion that Independence Day should be celebrated on the 2nd of July since that was the day the formal vote took place to declare independence form Britain.

Since I learned about how John Adams wanted Independence day on the 2nd instead of the 4th, I got to winding how he would have reacted since he did not get his way on when the day should be celebrated. The following story is the result of my musings ;).

"This is an outrage!" John Adams cried, storming into the parlor where his wife, Abigail, was thoroughly engrossed in her embroidery.

"What is, dearest?" she asked, not bothering to look up from her work.

"The people of this new country!" he yelled as he started to pace to and fro in front of her. "They don't understand when the day of liberty should be celebrated! They insist that is is the fourth of July!"

Abigail now lifted her eyes from her work to study her husband. "But dearest, the fourth of July was the date that was written on the Declaration of Independence, was it not?" she stated.

John snorted with disgust. "Yes, but the actual vote to declare independence from the tyranny of Britain took place on the second!"

"Yet the people are not aware of it. They are only aware on the Declaration that was published on July fourth," Abigail calmly pointed out.

John gave her a withering look. Abigail tried to hide her smile by intently studying the rose she was working on embroidering. Most of the time, he was the most doting and devoted of husbands. Yet, when times like these arose and he was being pig-headed about an issue, she liked to get him wound up even more. Besides, he looked more handsome when he was wound up.

"My dear," he said, as he stopped pacing by the mahogany mantle of the fireplace. "Must you always be the logical one out of the two of us?'

"When it comes to making you see reason, yes. If you wanted the people to celebrate our independence from Britain on the second of July instead of the fourth, you should have sent notice of the vote for independence in the papers," she said, sticking her needle in the cloth to finish the rose as if to make her point.

John harrumphed, snatching his pipe and tobacco off the mantle. "I think I will someday run for president. Then I will make sure the day of liberty is celebrated on the second!"

"You do that, dearest," Abigail called after him as he stomped out to the balcony with his pipe.

Once he was gone, a smile graced the cheeks of Abigail. She never once tired of her husband's antics. Knowing him, he was very likely to become second president of this new country. Yet, whatever he decided to do, she thought as she trimmed the thread on the rose she had just completed, she would be by his side every single step of the way.

There you have it. I hope you like it. Please be sure to comment and subscribe to my blog!