Hello! Hello! Hello! Welcome to a special episode of We Don’t Talk About P-word! 
Happy 247th Birthday, USA! 

Yay! Today is the Fourth of July. It’s a day to wave your flag and chant “U-S-A” with impunity. Enjoy a parade and watch the kiddos play with sparklers! Have a picnic and cherish the day with friends and family! Celebrate Independence!

I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but just so you know, you’re two days late. Or you are twenty-nine days early, depending on your point of view. 

If you are celebrating freedom instead of America’s birthday, well, you’re fifteen days too late.

I know, I’m sorry. I’m ruining another holiday for you.

The day we all celebrate our Independence is a big lie. It stems from a printer’s oversight, a little sprinkle of partisanship, and, you know, a war.

By June of 1776, the revolution had been raging for over a year. To say things were going poorly would be a gross understatement. During the early parts of the war, Washington spent more time running than fighting. His army was too inexperienced and under-supplied to make much of a stand. Over that year, Congress had done very little to improve their situation.

The Congress was divided: some sought independence and some sought reconciliation. Many didn’t see the profit in going to war with Britain. Some wanted to be sure of victory before declaring independence. As we often see today, many didn’t see what was already right in front of their face. They were at war and there was no going back.

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, both Virginians, supported independence. The state assembly as a whole did not.

That all changed on June 7, 1776. Richard Henry Lee (of the storied Virginia Lees ) introduced a resolution.

“Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

Virginia was the oldest, largest, and most prosperous colony of the revolution period. The other southern colonies were not obedient , per se. They did, however, highly value Virginia's views. Lee was also a well-respected member of the colonies. His family had been in Virginia almost from the beginning. 

The resolution led to debates. The debates led to amendments. Amendments led to committees.

On June 11, three committees were assigned. One’s purpose was to draft a declaration of independence. The second was to create a plan to form foreign alliances. The third was to “prepare and digest the form of a confederation”. That final committee was where the Articles of Confederation were born. John Dickinson led that committee; we'll talk more about him in a minute. 

Independence or reconciliation was a complicated question. It was so complicated that everyone wanted to confer with their colony before a vote could be cast. John Hancock, the President of the Congress, set the vote for three weeks. Congress adjourned to allow delegates to travel home. 

The committee to write the declaration would become known as “The Committee of Five.” The members were: 

	Thomas Jefferson (Virginia) 
	Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania) 
	John Adams (Massachusetts)
	Roger Sherman (Connecticut)
	Robert Livingston (New York) 

The committee created a framework for the declaration. They left much of the rhetoric to Jefferson, as he was the best writer of the group. John Adams was a close second, but he wasn’t very popular. His writing might have drawn unreconcilable criticism, especially by the southern delegates. Sadly for him, this would be true his entire life. It’s a good thing he had Abigail.

Speaking of Abigail Adams… During John’s time in Philadelphia, they had a robust correspondence. She became the first to lobby the government for women’s rights. In a letter dated March 31, 1776, she wrote to him:

“…in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. … If particular care and attention is not paid to the ladies, we are determined to foment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no voice or representation.”

There’s just a fun bit of trivia for you.

Jefferson presented his declaration to the committee. They discussed some more and made extensive changes. Soon, it was ready to present to Congress once the vote for independence passed. 

As the day for the vote grew nearer, the delegates trickled in from the different colonies. The sun rose on the morning of July 2, 1776, and the delegates made their way to the statehouse. When the votes were cast, it was unanimous. (As was expected, New York abstained.) The, now, United States would have its independence, or they would all hang for its pursuit. 

Happy Second of July, everyone! That just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it? But, technically, that is the day the Founders “declared” our independence. For all intents and purposes, the United States came into existence on July the second.
The next day, John Adams wrote to Abigail:

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. …it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.”

Man, people hated John Adams so much they wanted to make sure he was wrong generations later. I bet Jefferson would find this very amusing.

So, how did it end up on the fourth? How could it be considered twenty-nine days early? How could it possibly be fifteen days too late? There are still so many questions.
Following the vote and over the next two days, debates on the wording of the declaration were held. The section that resulted in the most debate focused on slavery. Jefferson had included a section blaming slavery and its continuation on the King. The section involved intense debate. In the end, they removed it.

Jefferson would later blame delegates from South Carolina and Georgia for its removal. He also included the northern merchants (involved in the slave trade). This was the second time that Jefferson had attempted to politically address slavery. It was also the second time he was berated severely  for his stance. He would not make any future attempts. Unfortunately, his rhetoric never matched his actions.

Finally, on the morning of the fourth, Congress agreed on the wording. The finalized document was sent to the printer. At the top, the date of printing was included and not the date of the vote. But even the date of printing wasn’t enough to move it to the fourth.
The real reason it’s celebrated on the fourth is much less glamourous.

A year later when July 2, 1777, rolled around, no one remembered. Not one member of Congress remembered what they had done a year earlier. It wasn’t until the third that they remembered, and the fourth became the first time they celebrated it.

If you could ask them today, most Founders would still be confused what day Independence Day is. Early on, there was disagreement on how to celebrate it between the two political parties of the time. It did not see widespread celebration until the fall of the Federalist party. That and the end of the War of 1812 put a punctuation on our independence. By that point many of the Founders were dead. Most never celebrated Independence Day.

So how could it be twenty-nine days early? It wasn’t signed by the delegates until August second. Many delegates did not make it back or were dealing with things at home. An official signing ceremony was held on August second. That date would still be a bit problematic, as some didn’t sign until September, November, and one not until 1781.
If all you are celebrating is independence, then July 2 is your date. If you are celebrating the printing of the Declaration   of Independence, then the fourth. But if you are celebrating freedom… If you are celebrating liberty… Well, then you are a little late.

The date to celebrate freedom and liberty is June nineteenth. Sadly, it didn’t happen for nearly ninety years. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that true freedom in the United States was achieved. This was the day that the last slaves were freed following our Civil War. The date is now referred to as Juneteenth. This is the day that the pursuit of freedom and liberty was finally achieved in the United States.

Signing the Declaration of Independence was required to continue to serve. Throughout the second Continental Congress, there were those who had opposed independence. Of all those delegates, only one refused to sign it. His name was John Dickinson. 

John Dickinson was a loyalist member of the Pennsylvania delegation. He had argued unwaveringly for reconciliation since the First Continental Congress. He disagreed with many of the actions of the British, but he believed that we could find a way to reconcile.
He served on the June 11 committee to outline a new government. Here, he became the principal author of the Articles of Confederation. But his convictions remained with reconciliation. Because of this, he could not, in good consciousness, sign the declaration. He understood his actions. In fact, he expected they would turn him into a pariah. Before he left Congress, he commented on his actions: 

“My conduct this day, I expect will give the finishing blow to my once too great and, my integrity considered, now too diminished popularity.”

John Adams, not liked by most, had an especially heated rivalry with Dickinson. He remarked on Dickinson before he left:

“Mr. Dickinson's alacrity and spirit certainly become his character and sets a fine example.”

So, Dickinson joined the British military to force reconciliation, right? No. Dickinson returned to Pennsylvania and joined the militia to fight alongside his neighbors.

He led soldiers in the defense of Elizabeth, NJ. He became one of only two from the Second Continental Congress to join the military. He would later return to the Continental Congress for Delaware. Here, he signed the Articles of Confederation. He would also be one of the most important scholars of the Constitution. He would go on to be the only person to serve as the executive of two states at once (Delaware and Pennsylvania). He was the driving reason they were the first and second states to ratify the Constitution. Finally, he was the only Founding Father to free his slaves between 1776 and 1786.

Jefferson said this of him when he learned of his death in 1808:

“…his name will be consecrated in history as one of the great worthies of the revolution.”

The reason I bring up John Dickinson is because of his dedication and values. Today, we heroize Adams and Jefferson. People like Dickinson are mostly forgotten. They are only known from obscure stories told by history buffs. They are seen in the peripheral of media that marginalizes them. It highlights the old adage that history is written by the winners. 
Adams and Jefferson were dedicated to the cause of Independence. Dickinson was just as dedicated to reconciliation. So much so, he was willing to tarnish his legacy to keep to his convictions. These three men had very different thoughts on how the colonies should proceed. In the end, the respect between them was obvious. Dickinson did not seek independence, but that did not mean he would fight his neighbors that did. In fact, he saw it as his duty to be part of protecting them in a war to achieve a goal he did not support. Because it was the consensus. 

This is something we don’t see today. Today, our politicians are always right. Today, they do not look for compromise. Today, they do not respect their colleagues. They call each other the enemy. They laugh when their fellow representatives are threatened with violence. No. Today, our politicians are thugs. 

They bully. They lie. They deny facts. The worst part is they do it while smiling at you. They do it while looking you in the eye. They do it knowing exactly what they are doing.
During my time off, I had the pleasure of spending time in Virginia’s Historic Triangle. I know, not everyone is a history nerd!

Here's an explanation for those who don’t know. The Historic Triangle is the area that encompasses Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. Jamestown is the site of the first permanent English settlement in the new world. Yorktown is the site of, not the last, but the most decisive battle of our Revolution. Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia during the Revolution.

Two things really stuck out for me on this trip. For the latter part of today’s Fourth of July Episode, I want to talk about that. I mean, what’s more American? Discussing our first settlement? Discussing the battle that ensured our independence? How about discussing where Thomas Jefferson spent his formative years?

I showed up early in Jamestown and prepared for a day of exploration. During my tour, I got to see the site of the very first English settlement. There are artifacts galore. There are even preserved remains of a church tower that has been there since 1680. It was really quite exciting to see. I was a history nerd in history-nerd heaven.

Here is what is really cool about Jamestown. (Well, it’s cool until you realize why and what's coming.) Jamestown is still an active archeological excavation. You can watch archeologists digging and searching for artifacts. You might be asking yourself the same thing I did. How can we possibly not have found everything by now? 

The answer is that the actual site of the Jamestown settlement was unknown until 1994. Yes, that was nineteen. As in twenty-nine years ago, 1994. That’s like… yesterday. I graduated from high school in 1994. 

Jamestown ceased to be a town in 1699. Sometime after that, it was lost for close to 300 years. Seems crazy right? It all stems from an unverified but probably unintentional lie. That lie was repeated over and over, and then became accepted as truth.  

Eyewitnesses from the early 1800s claimed the rising James River had claimed it. Over time, this became accepted as fact. Jamestown is a remote wooded area today. It would have been more so in the 1800s. It would have been hard to give it a thorough search, even if you weren't told it was gone. For the next one hundred and fifty-plus years, no one questioned it. In 1994, they did, and they found it.

Here, at our Nation’s birthplace, is where I learned the first fact that stuck with me. The Jamestown Rediscovery project had excellent tour guides. I learned so much from them. Our tour guide, a longtime member of the archaeological team, dropped a bomb. He told us that we only have about forty years to discover as much as we can. He explained that the rising water level of the James River endangers the site. It will claim the whole area within forty years. It’s a historic representation of the effects of climate change.

A settlement that has been there since 1607, the roots of our nation, we will get only 70 years to study, at most. It will be gone within forty years. 

Could we stop it? Could we save it? Could we make a difference?

The second fact that has stuck with me came during my visit to the Yorktown battlefield. Now, let me say this, in case you doubt my history nerd credentials. About midway through my tour of the battlefield a torrential downpour ensued. Did it stop me? Nope. I just zipped up my rain jacket and kept exploring. My companion just laughed as they sat in the car, watching me run around.  I am not made of sugar (most who know me would agree), and I am not from Oz. I was not going to miss out because of a little rain.

At the end of the driving tour, you come face to face with the Yorktown Victory Monument. It’s an impressive obelisk with lady liberty  atop. The memorial was authorized by Congress within days of Cornwallis’s surrender. It wasn’t until 1881 that construction on this memorial was started. It was completed in 1884.

Above the base as the obelisk begins to rise, there is a statement inscribed. The inscription has lived rent-free in my head ever since. It says, “One Country, One Constitution, One Destiny”.

That line is impactful on its own. With no other context, that line beautifully personifies the United States. It embodies the desires of our Founders. It represents our Revolutionary struggle. A line like that sticks with a history nerd.

But with as much pride as I felt for my country as I read it, I had questions. Is it still true? Is this still who we are?

Many people may not know this about Yorktown. Yes, it was a decisive battle of the Revolution, but its strategic location would make it a target of the Civil War. The Confederates set up defensive bulwarks there. Many were built over the existing ones left after the Revolution. It was eventually abandoned by Confederate troops as an untenable location to hold. It remained in the hands of the Union Army until 1864 when it was abandoned. Very little conflict took place in or around Yorktown.

That’s when it hits you that the memorial’s dates are as important as the memorial itself. In 1881, the Civil War was only sixteen years in the rearview mirror. Reconstruction had come to an end only four years prior. This was still a time of tension only beginning to mend. The words at the base were at the same time both emblematic and, they hoped, prophetic. Remember, Yorktown sits in a now defeated and cowed rebel state. Still, they found a way forward because they believed what the founders believed. We are one country, under one constitution, with one destiny. This was more than the return to an axiom; it was hope. It was hope that our nation could heal its wounds, hope that we would finally embody our constitution. It was the hope that the American Dream would be available to all.

Was that hope misplaced?

While at Yorktown, I saw another eye-opening fact of climate change. Redoubt 10, where Alexander Hamilton gained his military glory, is mostly gone. Near the rising York River, erosion has claimed most of the redoubt. 

Earlier, I asked if we could save Jamestown. Now, I ask if the hope of Yorktown was misplaced. The answers are complicated. Both could be yes. Both could be no.
It all depends on those we elect to represent us. 

The debate over climate change highlights this very concern. Our politicians deny and argue about its cause, and never get past that to actually offer help. They ignore that its source is irrelevant. They ignore the receding coastlines. They ignore the natural disasters that scar our land. They ignore the People that suffer. They forget their job is to Protect the People, not to be right.

If the hope of Yorktown is misplaced, Jamestown will be lost. 

Whether you believe climate change is cyclical or manmade is irrelevant. The changing climate is affecting the nation, its people, and our history. We must act together, or the hope of Yorktown is lost.

We must look to politicians that embody the spirit of John Dickinson. We must choose representatives that care about this nation. We must choose representatives that care about their neighbors. We must choose representatives that care more about them than their own power.

We must elect leaders that defend the will of the People, not look to seize their power.
We are facing a new moment to declare our independence. This time, it is not from the tyranny of a government in a far-off land. This time it is the tyranny of those who have captured our government from within. 

Today, we hardly remember John Dickinson at all. If we do, it is as the only delegate that did not sign the Declaration of Independence. He is often looked down on for this, but he deserves better. He went from staunch loyalist to prominent statesman. He helped create the Constitution and was instrumental in the Great Compromise. His work in both Pennsylvania and Delaware led to its ratification. That seems exceptional for a man who did not believe in independence.

We need more leaders like John Dickinson. 

We must learn to disagree while supporting American Values. We must stop listening to the propaganda of the parties. We must defend our neighbors’ rights even when we disagree with them.

Working Americans must take their power back.

Some might say it is impossible. Some might say it’s too much work. The same was said about independence; imagine if the Founders believed it.

The People are the power in this nation. We must realize that the parties are not working for us. We must come together for the betterment of our nation, not just ourselves. If we do that, like the sentiment we celebrate today, it is not impossible.

If we come together, we can succeed, because I am willing to bet there are more of us than there are of them. 

As we conclude today’s episode, let’s keep in mind these words from Thomas Jefferson’s last letter:

“…for ourselves let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them.”

Happy Fourth of July, everyone. May the spirit of 1776 embody us all.