The "What Is The Meaning Of July 4th To You?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out the locations and times of the parades that will occur today in our community of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Also checking out where we can view fireworks tonight after the parades have ended.  But, today is more than a patriotic day in our household, since our daughter, Brynn Ann (Woods) Mencarini, was born on the 4th of July.  She and her family, which includes husband Dave and daughters Courtney and Camille, will arrive from Urbana, Maryland by noon and we will celebrate with a picnic which will include our oldest son Derek and his wife Barbara and son Caden as well as our youngest son Tad whose name was given to him to celebrate being born on our Nation's BiCentennial year, 1976.  His name is Paul Thaddeus Woods, named after Lancaster's famous Thaddeus Stevens whom I have written about many times.  

Brynn's photo from the Lancaster
Newspaper when she turned 4
years old on the 4th of July.

We will meet to celebrate the birth of our nation and our daughter with a meal and perhaps a visit somewhere to watch evening fireworks.  So, besides our celebrations today, what really happened on July 4th to make this day so special in the history of the United States.  It was on July 4, 1776 that the Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence which was written by Thomas Jefferson.  They had been working on it for a couple of days after the original draft had been submitted two days before.  Finally, all edits and changes had been approved.  The fancy handwritten copy that was signed in August of that year is now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.  But, July 4 wasn't a special holiday immediately after that date in 1776.  Our young country was still too new and at times in turmoil.  In the 1790s the Declaration had become controversial with the Democratic-Republicans admiring Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration while the Federalists thought the Declaration was too French and too anti-British.  In 1817 John Adams complained in a letter that America seemed uninterested in its past and then copies of the Declaration began to circulate once again, with the date July 4, 1776 listed at the top.  Then both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4, 1826 and the idea of promoting July 4 as a national holiday gained acceptance.  

Brynn's daughters, Camille (left) and Courtney help to
celebrate her birthday on July 4 many years ago.  The
cake is Carol's famous lemon cake!

Finally, in 1870, almost a hundred years after the Declaration was written, Congress declared July 4 to be a national holiday.  So, our family added to that celebration with the birth of our daughter in Lancaster.  We may or may not have fireworks to celebrate her birthday today, but my wife's famous lemon cake with glowing candles will do nicely.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.