Happy July 4th?

Are we celebrating the right day? After all it was July 2nd when The Second Continental Congress decreed that the Colonies would absolve their allegiance with the most powerful country on the planet, Great Britain. Presumably all of our nation’s fathers, including John Adams, believed we would be celebrating on the 2nd “forever more”! Mr. Adams wrote his wife, Abigail, about the previous day’s activity and prophesied about how their bold move would be commemorated. Nearly 250 years later, his description is pretty spot on, Maybe we could all use a little “some solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty” along with the “Pomp and parade….games….bonfires and illuminations”. And maybe we celebrate July 2nd and July 4th?

The letter to Abigail in part read:

"The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, 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 Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."

- John Adams July 3, 1776

Fireworks over the Whitehouse 2023.