July 4, 2014

 

 

"God reigns over the nations. God is seated on His holy throne." Psalm 46:8 NIV.

 

 

 

 

As the United States of America celebrates her 238th birthday today, let's remember that the Founding Fathers sought God to direct them in the formation of this nation.

 

That's an important fact.

 

Especially in this day when a minority wish to remove all visages of God.

 

July 4.

 

A day to remember our past and pray for our future.

 

"Taxation without representation!" The battle cry rang among the original thirteen colonies.  The peoples living on this side of England had no desire for forced taxes to England's Kind George III without representation.

British troops soon arrived to subdue  the disgruntled colonists--making matters worse.

When June 11, 1776 came, the colonies' Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and formed a committee whose to draft a document and sever ties with Great Britain.

The committee included Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson, eloquent writer, wrote the original draft.   Eighty-six changes later, the Continental Congress officially adopted the final version on July 4, 1776.

July 6, The Pennsylvania Evening Post  published the document.

July 8, 1776, the first public readings took place in Philadelphia's Independence Square to the ringing of bells and band music.

One year later, July 4, 1777, Philadelphia marked Independence Day by adjourning Congress and celebrating with bonfires, bells and fireworks.

The custom eventually spread to other towns. The day was marked with processions, oratory, picnics, contests, games, military displays and fireworks.

June of 1826, Roger C. Weightman wrote to Thomas Jefferson and invited him to come to Washington D.C. to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  Jefferson declined the invitation. He was gravely ill,and this was to be his last letter.

"May it be to the world, what I believe it will be ... the signal of arousing men to burst the chains ... and to assume the blessings and security of self-government. That form, which we have substituted, restores the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion. All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. ...For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them."

Thomas Jefferson
June 24, 1826 Monticello

1870, Congress established Independence Day as a holiday.