Star Spangled Miscellany
Cool stuff you (probably) didn’t know about Independence Day
From sea to shining sea, the 4th of July conjures images of fireworks, cookouts and cold beer. People everywhere are rolling out their barbeque grills and donning their stars and stripes to take part in America’s birthday celebration.
Some hard-core history buffs (or anyone who’s ever attended high school) can even quote parts of our Declaration of Independence. Especially this part:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
But did you know that in addition to declaring self-evident truths about equality and happy pursuits, the Declaration was actually a very thorough list of grievances?
The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
In fact, the document consists of more than 30 paragraphs describing detailed accounts of unjust acts committed against Americans — including: abolishing valuable laws, hindering immigration, appointing unapproved judges, illegal taxation, acts of barbarism, and blatant tyranny against American colonists.
A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
In a nutshell, Americans were super pissed at the Brits, called them out on their sins and boldly stated that they simply weren’t gonna take it no more.
This enchanting document — as well as the United States herself — turns 241 years old this weekend. So for the occasion, I’ve collected up a bunch of super-cool random facts about Independence Day that may be fun to chat about around the picnic table:
Did you know?
- Thomas Jefferson wrote the original draft of the Declaration of Independence when he was only 33 years old.
- The One World Trade Center in New York stands 1,776 feet tall to symbolize the year we claimed our independence.
- Approximately 155 million hot dogs are cooked on the 4th of July, and more than $340 million is spent on beer.
- John Trumbull’s famous painting actually shows the Declaration of Independence being presented to Congress, not the actual signing — which most people believe it to be.
- In July of 1884, miners in Swan, Colorado were unhappy that there were no fireworks at the local post office, so they blew it up.
- The 56 men who signed the Declaration knew that they were committing a treasonable act that was punishable by death — and signed it anyway.
- Nearly 88% of imported U.S. Flags are from China — as well as 97% of imported fire works.
- In the original draft of the Declaration of Independence, there was a paragraph condemning Britain’s behavior concerning the slave trade. It was omitted in the final document — in light of the contradiction of Jefferson himself (and other signers) owning slaves. Ironically, the most famous sentence in the Declaration (the one about equality, liberty and happiness) ended up playing a part in the eventual end of slavery.
- The Declaration was first read in public on July 8, 1776 in Philadelphia. The crowd was summoned by the ringing of the Liberty Bell.
- 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence were originally made — and only 26 of those are accounted for today.
- The image of John Thrumbull’s famous painting, The Declaration of Independence, can be found today on the back side of the two dollar bill.
- When George Washington read the Declaration aloud in New York, the crowd celebrated by destroying a statue of George III — which was melted into 42,000 musket balls for the new American Army to shoot at British soldiers.
- Thomas Jefferson’s original preamble was written, “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable”. However it is rumored that Ben Franklin edited the text to read, “We hold these truths to be self-evident”.
- Thomas Jefferson used a “laptop” to draft the Declaration — a small lap-sized wooden writing desk.
- A “Salute to the Union” — one gunshot for each of the original 13 colonies — is performed at every capable military base at noon on each Independence Day.
- William Whipple, a Declaration signer from New Hampshire, freed his slave because he believed he couldn’t, in good conscience, fight for liberty while owning another man.
- 1846 was the last time the Liberty Bell was rung. Since then, on the 4th of July, it is tapped 13 times to honor the original colonies.
- In 1776 approximately 2.5 million people lived in the United States. Today there are over 320 million.
- Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence to later become President of the United States. Coincidentally they both died on the same day as well — on July 4th, 1826 — the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
So there ya go… a little obscure trivia for your 4th of July celebrations. Oh, and if you’d like to really go authentic, add some turtle soup to your festivities. Rumor has it that’s what John Adams had for dinner on the original Independence Day!
