John to Abigail Adams, July 3rd 1776

[Maximum Ordinate]

In a letter to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776 (the day after the Continental Congress voted for independence), John Adams wrote:

"The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, 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 Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."


Adams was referring to July 2 (the vote for independence), not July 4 (when the Declaration was approved).  Adams' vision became the tradition for the Fourth of July anyway.

Other Founders like Jefferson and Franklin spoke about liberty and rights, but Adams' letter is the one most directly tied to celebrating Independence Day.

Happy 250th Independence Day!

[UpACreek]

We did our part with the shooting.  I stayed at a friend's house this weekend and you couldn't clearly see a car parked next door through all the smoke of the fireworks.  It was awesome!

Happy 250th!