I always find it surprising when I speak with a fellow American who does not know the actual meaning of the Fourth of July holiday.
Yesterday, I passed a park in South Carolina in which families were picnicking and barbecuing. The scene is probably the same on most summer weekends but this felt a little different as many had flags as well as red, white and blue tablecloths and plates. When we think of the Fourth of July, most think of the picnics, vacations and fireworks. My wife began looking at the fireworks schedule three weeks ago in an effort to find the best fireworks to watch. This year, we are going to a peach festival that will be followed by a fireworks display.
The commercialism of holidays is OK, as long as we remember the reason for the holiday. The Fourth of July is Independence Day. Independence is the reason that my mother’s ancestors came to this country in the 1600’s and the reason that my father’s family came to America in the 1800’s. It is the reason that so many people continue to immigrate to America today. Unfortunately, it is also a reason that terrorists and extremists hate our country but we’ll save that topic for another day.
As a young student I enjoyed learning about history but I was not a history buff. My passion was math and science. As I finished school, met people from around the world, and traveled, my interest in history increased. I wish that I studied history a bit more and I wish my parents took us to even more historic places. I hear this common.
And so, on this Independence Day weekend, I think about the history of our great nation. Growing up relatively close to Gettysburg, PA, I took the historic relevance of Gettysburg for granted. It was said that “the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg reveal the soul of this nation”.
Most people know of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address but just in case you do not know the background, I offer the following. It was July 1, 1863 when the Confederate forces approached Gettysburg with the intention of winning the war. In that small Pennsylvania town, the most important battle of the Civil War took place when more than 170,000 soldiers, 70,000 horses and 550 canons converged. The battle ended on July 3, with the Union Army stopping the Confederate Army, on Cemetery Ridge.
About four months later, President Lincoln visited Gettysburg to dedicate the Soldier’s National Cemetery. Lincoln was not the keynote speaker. Edward Everett, a politician, was the main speaker. Most American’s don’t know much about Everett and don’t know a word of his two hour speech. Lincoln spoke after Everett and with a two minute speech, containing 272 words that began “Four Score and seven years ago…”. President Lincoln set out to clam a nation and declare that those who had died had not died in vain, as he declared the notion of equality.
On this Fourth of July weekend, I wish all a happy Independence Day and recommend that you take a few minutes on this holiday, and all holidays, to consider the history and the reason behind the holiday. Also, if you have not had the opportunity, I recommend a visit to the Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Battlegrounds as a place that everyone should visit. This is the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. As you visit the battlegrounds and the original civil war homes and buildings, you will be awe inspired.
Happy Holiday!
kevin
