July 4 - Independence Day
Many Americans think independence was declared on July 4, 1776. Actually, it isn’t so. The resolution declaring the United Colonies free and independent states was adopted on July 2. Jefferson’s formal Declaration, stating the reasons for that
action, was approved on July 4, but members of the Continental Congress didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence until August.
The Declaration did not create a new nation, nor did the Continental Congress intend it to in July 1776. Actually, the Declaration refers not to a single national government but to 13 separate independent states united in a common cause to seek independence from Britain. A careful reading makes it very clear that each state was recognized as holding the powers of a sovereign nation. It would be several more years before a national government, in the form of the Articles of Confederation, would be approved.
But why let truth get in the way of this annual display of national patriotism? The Fourth of July is the perfect holiday. It falls right smack dab in the heat of summer when everyone is pining for a day off and a barbecue. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 68 million people will have a cookout today, and a great many of those cookouts will feature hot dogs. More than 150 million hot dogs will be consumed before the day is out.