The Fourth of July is just plain fun. Fireworks, of course. Picnics. Parades. Flags. Nothing says American life more than the Fourth. It is the quintessential American holiday. As with all American holidays, there is a deep meaning underneath all that fun.
For the past year, the IJN has been running an enlightening series of biographies of the signers of the Declaration of Independence by Linda Berrettini-McGinnis. Each week we learn about the deep patriotism, the struggles and diverse backgrounds of the men who came together on July 4, 1776, to declare their new, fledgling country’s independence. Kind of Brexit in reverse.
While they were crafting the Declaration of Independence, many of these signers were struggling with their respective colonies — soon to become states — as each developed its own constitutions and laws. These were the labor pains of the birth of the new nation — and a new people. The parents of some of the signers were born abroad, and if not them, their grandparents. As they came together to declare the United States of America an independent, sovereign nation, their countries of origin became a part of their personal history. No small amount of courage was required of these men and their families as the British brutally tried to stop from forming a new nationality, the American people.
On July 4, with all the fun and festivities, we not only celebrate our unique freedoms. We celebrate the intellect, courage and creativity of our Founding Fathers.
Copyright © 2016 by the Intermountain Jewish News
