Fourth of July

Today is Independence Day. On this day in 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, and the United States officially broke from the rule of England. War began more than a year earlier in Lexington Massachusetts; it would not end for another 7 years (1783). The colonists were trying to persuade other nations of Europe to be on their side, so they included a long list of complaints about the king. The document said of the king, in part, "HE is, at this Time, transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the Works of Death, Desolation, and Tyranny, already begun with Circumstances of Cruelty and Perfidy, scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous Ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized Nation."


In 1804, the explorers Lewis and Clark had the first Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi. They were traveling through a part of the Midwest that is now Kansas. They stopped at the mouth of a creek on July 4th, and named it Independence Creek in honor of the day. To celebrate, they fired their cannon at sunset and distributed an extra ration of whisky to the men.

It became a popular holiday after the War of 1812. On the frontier, it was the only time of the year when everyone in the countryside gathered together in one place. There would be parades and speeches, and the prettiest and most wholesome girl in the village would be named the Goddess of Liberty. Politicians would get up and call the king of England a skunk and challenge him to a fight. Drunk men in the streets would get into fights and call each other Englishmen. Soon, events like groundbreaking ceremonies for the Erie Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroads were scheduled to coincide with July 4th festivities. In 1870 Congress passed a law declaring it a federal holiday. These days, almost all communities — from small towns to major metropolitan areas — have 4th of July parades and set off fireworks. Washington, D.C., has a parade down Constitution Avenue and fireworks above the Washington Monument. In Boston, the Boston Pops Orchestra performs a free concert that ends with fireworks over the Charles River. Chicago, New Orleans, Houston, and Philadelphia also have huge festivities. But the longest-running 4th of July parade in the country takes place in Bristol, Rhode Island, a town of just over 20,000, which has had a parade every year since 1785

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both died on July 4th 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson wrote the Declaration, and John Adams was its strongest supporter in the Continental Congress.

On this day in 1845, Henry David Thoreau moved into his cabin on Walden Pond. It was 10 feet wide by 15 feet long, had an attic and a closet, two windows, and a fireplace.

On this day in 1855, the first edition of Whitman's Leaves of Grass was printed. It consisted of 12 poems and a preface. "Grass" is a printer's term; it refers to a casual job that can be set up between busy times.

On this day in 1931, James Joyce married Nora Barnacle at the Kensington Registry Office in London.

Happy Fourth of July

Today is Independence Day, quite a literary day in America. The Declaration itself is an amazing document - NPR had a reading Friday that was absolutely superb. Thank you Thomas Jefferson, and to every signer who fully understood what doing so meant.
Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died today, but they had reconciled and spent their last years writing letter to each other, which are definitely worth reading for their foresight, their hopes and dreams of our nation. As always, find an history book that David McCullough has written to also thoroughly enjoy the individual (Adams!)

It is also the birthdate of Nathaniel Hawthorne - born in Salem Mass, 6th generation. The Scarlet Letter is one of his better known works, but I like so many of them (House of the Seven Gables) and especially enjoyed visiting the town and houses last autumn. Still a tourist atraction, but also a literary one.

The Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman were published today - singing words of everyday America, of our natural environment, of our hopes and dreams. Emerson had written that America lacked a poet who described the sublime country, and he replied that he had been simmering, simmering, and that boiled him over to write this poetry. Alot of critics thought it absolute rubbish. I can remember being in High School and discovering the 'edited poems', going to the Library to find more of his work and being questioned "you do know he is a homosexual? Do you still want to read him?" I can still feel my face go slack at that small town verbiage, to which I replied "do you read Shakespeare?" Emerson also wrote a congratulatory note, which Whitman included in the next edition!

Today is also the day that Walden, by Henry David Thoreau was begun. He moved into his cabin in the woods for 26 months, writing daily notes on his life, the natural history, philosophy, etc. And here too, I can remember the first time I discovered that he went home to his mother EVERY DAY for food and laundry....I would truly like to live in the woods like that!