tfl: The Flatiron Life

This if how John Adams described 231 years ago today writing to Abigail 231 years ago tomorrow.  He wrote,

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

What happened 2 July 1776?  Men decided to go all the way and try to end oppression over them once and for all.

7 June 1776, Richard Henry Lee had submitted to the Second Continental Congress the Lee Resolution.  1 July 1776, Congress met in committee and agreed to the Lee Resolution.  2 July 1776, Congress voted 12-0 to pass the Lee Resolution.

What had Lee put forth?  Not a slow march towards independence, but a that it be

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.

That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances.

That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.

On the 4th, we celebrate the declaration of these facts to King George and the enumeration of the wrongs that had been heaped upon the colonies.  However, today we should remember as the day that 13 free and independent States stood up and recognized that their sovereignty was not held by one man but unalienable from themselves and thus rejected the power of any man to rule over them.   These people could do whatever they chose and as immediately the were looking for France and Spain to help kill some Red Coats (2nd paragraph) and they were looking to stick together (3rd paragraph).

Why was this vote 12-0?  This is another important lesson from today.  New York abstained from the initial vote.  The delegation did not believe that New Yorkers had property endowed them with the right to vote on their behalf.  They were not compelled by the other delegation to not vote for the resolution and they surely did not think New Yorkers were opposed to the resolution.  However, they so strongly believed in the consent of the governed, that they did not vote on the most important thing Congress would vote on, EVER.  New York did agree to the resolution on the 9th.

This amazes me.  I cannot imagine many of our politicians having similar respect for our consent today.  In fact, the constitution (todays embodiment of the last paragraph of the Lee Resolution) is to be trampled daily without our consent.

However, we are among freest men alive.  Though we could and should be freer.  We are the decentends of the great men. So live strong and proud Americans.

This morning we learned that today is Canada Day, and this brought to mind what author Sarah Vowell had to say about Canadian Independence in her book The Partly Cloudy Patriot:

There’s a sad sack quality to the Canadian chronology I find entirely endearing. I once asked the CBC radio host Ian Brown how on earth one could teach Canadian schoolchildren their history in a way that could be remotely inspiring, and he answered, ‘It isn’t inspiring.’

Achieving its independence from Britain gradually and cordially, through polite meetings taking place in nice rooms, Canada took a path to sovereignty that is one of the most hilariously boring stories in the world. One Canadian history textbook I have describes it thus, “British North Americans moved through the 1850s and early sixties towards a modestly spectacular resolution of their various ambitions and problems.” Modestly spectacular. Isn’t that adorable?

So as we approach the anniversary of the day we proclaimed unequivocally to King George III “That these Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States,” Canada marks the 140th anniversary of “the beginning of a gradual march towards independence from Britain” that would last until 1982. Party on, Canucks, party on.