Mixed Memories
On the Fourth of July, as on any momentous occasion, myths mingle with reality. Even the date we’re supposed to remember was initially in question.
Congress voted for independence two days before it was formally declared. John Adams always thought July 2 the more appropriate day to celebrate, and expected it would be the perpetual date to do so. There was some merit to his argument, and more than a little envy that prompted it.
As relations with Great Britain deteriorated and war raged to the north, separation became inevitable. Adams suggested to Thomas Jefferson that Jefferson write a declaration of independence.
Adams viewed the document as something of a press release, and certainly nothing epochal. After the tumult passed – either with new states on the world scene or a hangman’s noose around signatories’ necks – few would remember it. The actual vote was what mattered.
Jefferson was reluctant, and wondered why Adams shouldn’t write the announcement himself. Other than Robert Livingston, Jefferson was the youngest member of the committee of five assigned by the Second Continental Congress to draft a rationale for independence.
How was he qualified?
Jefferson brought unique ability…what Adams called “a reputation for literature, science, and a happy talent for composition”, as well as a “peculiar felicity of expression.” Adams then elaborated, with three additional reasons he preferred to defer to his younger colleague.
“Reason first”, he began, “you are a Virginian, and a Virginian should be at the head of this business.
“Reason second”, he continued, “I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. You are very much otherwise.
“Reason third”, he concluded, “you can write ten times better than I can.”
Adams was right, and won that battle. But Jefferson won the war. From then on, the former always thought the latter had run away with the revolution. With a bit of retrospective bitterness, Adams continued to think July 2 was the date that truly mattered.
The Declaration ended up meaning more than Adams thought it would (or should), and the date atop the document became the one the rest of us would celebrate. That Adams and Jefferson both died on July 4… fifty years to the day after independence was declared…further cemented its mystique, reinforced their reputations, and gave us a day to remember.
But the Fourth wasn’t always and everywhere remembered fondly. While the day is an annual celebration of a successful secession, some Americans spent many generations mourning a thwarted attempt… which effectively died on the Fourth of July.
The S
Article from LewRockwell
LewRockwell.com is a libertarian website that publishes articles, essays, and blog posts advocating for minimal government, free markets, and individual liberty. The site was founded by Lew Rockwell, an American libertarian political commentator, activist, and former congressional staffer. The website often features content that is critical of mainstream politics, state intervention, and foreign policy, among other topics. It is a platform frequently used to disseminate Austrian economics, a school of economic thought that is popular among some libertarians.
