When is Independence Day?
Easy, July 4th.
Everyone knows that, even non-Americans know that.
Yeah but… why?
You may be thinking that the answer is simple, because that’s the day that the Declaration
of Independence was signed…
I feel like I’m about to tell someone that the tooth fairy isn’t real.
Many people already know this, and if you don’t, you will… now… the Declaration
of Independence was not signed on July 4th.
It was actually signed on August 2nd.
Okay fine then, when the Continental Congress voted to declare independence.
That actually happened on July 2nd.
In fact, John Adams thought that this should be Independence Day, saying “The Second
Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha (? That’s not a word!), in the History
of America.”
He also said that about May 15th when he wrote a preamble that HE regarded as a declaration
of independence but nobody else did so, you know, take that with a grain of salt.
Okay well then what happened on July 4th?
Congress ordered some final official copies of the Declaration of Independence to be printed…
This was the day that those famous, immortal words were printed and spread to the masses.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that we will not
go quietly into the night!
We will not vanish without a fight!
We’re going to live on, we’re going to survive!
Today we celebrate our Independence Day!
Really though aside from those first few sentences, the rest of the Declaration reads like a whiny
list of complaints aimed at the King.
Ranging from fairly legitimate: He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most
wholesome and necessary for the public good.
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit
of Trial by Jury: To the fairly ridiculous:
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant
from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into
compliance with his measures.
Really, you’re complaining about the location of your meeting place?
Anyway, since we’re already splitting hairs - which Declaration of Independence is THE
Declaration of Independence?
Well, you should know by now that I wouldn’t rhetorically ask something that had an easy
answer.
As I said on July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress ordered around 200 copies of the
Declaration of Independence to be officially printed and distributed to various state assemblies,
military units, and institutions.
These are known as the Dunlap Broadsides, after the printer who printed them.
They’re all a little different actually, because the typeset would shift between prints
or he would stack them on top of each other or fold them in half before the ink was dry,
so they all have their own little quirks.
There are only 26 known copies existing today… and there may be more!
The most recent copy was found in 2008.
In 1989, one was discovered hidden behind a framed picture bought at a flea market for
4 dollars.
Four dollars.
That actually happened!
Seriously!
Fun fact, none of them were officially sent to England or you know, the people who probably
most needed to see it.
If you’re going to declare war, the war doesn’t start until the declaration of war
is received.
Not written, not announced, but received.
At least, back in the days of gentlemanly war.
Which, 1776 was definitely back in those days.
Granted, the fighting had started long before the Declaration of Independence was even a
glimmer in Thomas Jefferson’s eye.
Just for the sake of being thorough, the date that most historians view as the actual beginning
of the American Revolutionary war is April 15, 1775 with the Shot Heard Round the World
at Lexington and Concord.
Well over a year before the Declaration, which again, was never sent with an ambassador to
deliver to the king or anything.
It just kind of made its way to England through various British officials still living in
the US.
Two months ago, in April 2017, a copy of the Declaration of Independence was found in Sussex,
England that was likely written between 1783 and 1790.
And it’s a copy of a copy of something someone read to someone else in a noisy bar, so it’s
slightly different in its own little ways.
It’s close enough, but it spent a few rounds playing telephone.
Anyway, I’m wildly off track here.
There are 26 Dunlap Broadsides.
Two of which are in the Library of Congress and one in the National Archives.
These were made on July 4th, 1776.
But they were not signed.
So on July 19th Congress commissioned an engrossed, parchment copy to be hand written by Timothy
Matlack.
This is known as the Matlack Declaration, and it is the one that was signed on August
2nd.
This is the one that John Hancock signed all huge and fancy because he was the President
of the Congress.
Not the President of the United States, there’s a difference, and I made a video on that already.
But this is the one that is on primary display at the National Archives, and is the one that
Nicholas Cage stole in National Treasure.
This is the one that many people refer to as THE Declaration of Independence.
Just for completionist’s sake, in January 1777, Congress commissioned another set of
official broadsides to be printed, this time with the names of everyone who signed it,
known as the Goddard Broadside.
This was the first time that public knew who signed the Declaration of Independence and
there are currently 9 of those in existence.
So if Congress declared independence on July 2nd, some copies were distributed on July
4th, but THE Declaration of Independence was written on July 19th and not signed until
August 2nd… why is Independence Day July 4th?
For the same reason that Christmas is on December 25th.
They just decided.
Oh yeah, I’m about to ruin Christmas for you too, but only a little bit.
If you don’t know already, most historians agree that Jesus was born in the year 4 BC…
which doesn’t…
that’s not important.
The important thing is that nobody knows the day.
Back in the year 200, when they were trying to figure this all out, the main guesses were
April 20th-21st or May 20th.
There were other guesses all over the place (January 2, March 25, April 18, April 19,
November 17, November 20) but weirdly none of them were in December.
So why December 25th?
Because that WAS the Winter Solstice under the Julian Calendar – it’s December 21st
now.
And that was during other existing holidays and festivals like Saturnalia and Sol Invictus.
So, again, why December 25th?
Because they just decided to put it here.
Why July 4th?
Because they just decided to put it there.
But should they have?
Let’s look at it another way.
What makes a country a country?
I mean besides the whole, having land and people and a government and stuff.
It’s when you’re a recognized member of the UN, right?
Well let’s take a look at an example: Kosovo.
If the majority of you were to look at a map, you would see this, Kosovo.
Because, according to my demographics, most of your countries recognize Kosovo.
But it can’t get into the UN because two members of the Security Council, China and
Russia, say it’s not a country.
So if you looked at a map from there, you’d see this.
So is it a country?
Luckily since there was no UN in 1776 this example doesn’t really apply, but we can
use that same vein of thought.
It’s when other countries agree that you’re a country.
As you can imagine, since there was no single body like the UN to declare your status as
a country, this coulda little messy.
So who was the first country – aside from the United States – to recognize the United
States as a country.
Morocco.
(December 20, 1777) What?
No let’s talk about countries that actually matter, please.
Okay then, France (February 6, 1778).
Without a doubt, that French recognition and military aid is what helped America finally
win the Revolutionary war.
The French waited until after the American victory at Saratoga, because well think about
it, nobody wants to help a loser.
And predictably just over a month later, Britain declared war on France so they were taking
a huge risk by recognizing the US.
This is the same problem as during the Civil War by the way…
I know another tangent, sorry… but had anyone recognized the independence of the Confederacy,
things might have turned out differently.
But since they kept losing, nobody did.
So okay, France, Morocco, and a few others, whatever.
The one that matters is Britain right?
Yeah well that’s where things get a little fuzzy.
Because while Britain did formally recognize the independence of the US with the Treaty
of Paris, which ended the Revolution, they didn’t really act like it.
They kept capturing American ships and “impressing” the sailors into the Royal Navy, and other
things which are generally considered not cool things to do to an independent country.
Which started the War of 1812.
An often forgotten war, which is sometimes referred to as the Second War for Independence,
because like I said, the UK – Yes it was the UK at this point (Acts of Union 1800)
– didn’t really respect American sovereignty.
After this war ended on December 24, 1814, there has been over 200 years of uninterrupted
peace between the US and the UK.
But there’s yet another way to look at it.
When did the United States become the United States?
I mean sure, the thirteen colonies got together and declared independence on July to August
1776, but we didn’t have a real federal government yet… and then we had those dumb
Articles of Confederation.
But when was the Constitution handed down by Jesus?
Again that’s a messy question.
It was written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and went into effect on March 4, 1789.
That’s the day that the United States became the United States that we know and love today.
So when is Independence Day?
July 4th, look at a calendar.
Okay but like… should it be though?
The Revolution had been going on for quite a while but independence was declared on July
2nd, printed on July 4th, and signed on August 2nd…
The war wasn’t won until 1783… or 1814 depending on how you look at it.
And the Constitution didn’t happen until 1789 so… should it be?
Yes, you have to pick somewhere okay?
Okay well the next time someone asks you what actually happened on July 4th, at least now,
you know better.
So when do you think Independence Day should be?
Let me know down in the comments and don’t forget to declare that subscribe button’s
independence.
By… by clicking it.