July 2020 Facebook Blog.

The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favour of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. 

A History of Independence Day

When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical.

By the middle of the following year, however, many more colonists had come to favour independence, thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments such as those expressed in the bestselling pamphlet “Common Sense,” published by Thomas Paine in early 1776.

On June 7, when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the colonies’ independence.

Amid heated debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee’s resolution, but appointed a five-man committee—including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York—to draft a formal statement justifying the break with Great Britain.

On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favour of Lee’s resolution for independence in a near-unanimous vote (the New York delegation abstained, but later voted affirmatively). On that day, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 “will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival” and that the celebration should include “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.”

On July 4th, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which had been written largely by Jefferson. Though the vote for actual independence took place on July 2nd, from then on the 4th became the day that was celebrated as the birth of American independence.

In the pre-Revolutionary years, colonists had held annual celebrations of the king’s birthday, which traditionally included the ringing of bells, bonfires, processions and speechmaking. By contrast, during the summer of 1776 some colonists celebrated the birth of independence by holding mock funerals for King George III as a way of symbolizing the end of the monarchy’s hold on America and the triumph of liberty.

Festivities including concerts, bonfires, parades and the firing of cannons and muskets usually accompanied the first public readings of the Declaration of Independence, beginning immediately after its adoption. Philadelphia held the first annual commemoration of independence on July 4, 1777, while Congress was still occupied with the ongoing war.

George Washington issued double rations of rum to all his soldiers to mark the anniversary of independence in 1778, and in 1781, several months before the key American victory at the Battle of Yorktown, Massachusetts became the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday.

After the Revolutionary War, Americans continued to commemorate Independence Day every year, in celebrations that allowed the new nation’s emerging political leaders to address citizens and create a feeling of unity. By the last decade of the 18th century, the two major political parties—the Federalist Party and Democratic-Republicans—that had arisen began holding separate Fourth of July celebrations in many large cities.

For any of you who have Disney+ 

Hamilton the musical is worth watching. 

LOCAL & GROUP NEWS:

In last months blog I brought up the subject of CBT products.  I mentioned a company who blend a Columbian coffee with CBD. As I was just starting out the short term results were promising. A month on from starting I must admit that I can feel a benefit from using it. I also decided to try their CBD drops. Using the two together has improved my quality of sleep and I feel a lot less stressed. I have also found that on a really bad day 4 drops of the CBD under the tongue eases the pain. Doesnt do away with the pain in anyway but it makes it a lot easier to handle and continue some form of normality. Its not for everyone by any means, 2 group members have tried but with no real success.

Some comments from last month:

” I take CBD oil too and i find it eases me but not a miracle cure as some would have you believe.”

“Personally I have found the CBD coffee having a pleasant, calming effect on me without making me feel spaced out. Would I buy it again? Most definitely. But like everything with this dreadful illness what helps some has little or no effect on others”

“Nah I haven`t noticed any difference with it” – CBD Coffee

“Im finding the coffee calms me down but am also wondering if its the placebo effect. Whatever I`ll take it for as long as it lasts”

“Nice coffee, but havent noticed any difference yet”

“The coffee is lovely. Stretched out over the day it has a lovely relaxed feel. Yet the coffee maker just doesnt keep it as hot as Id like. Abrew in the cafetiere thingy is preferred, but would need to invest in a larger one. I bought 3 bags through the offer (group 25% discount) I know Im ok with CBD and I love Colombian coffee. Already down to the last packet, so Im putting down to an enjoyable but expensive treat”

“I tried CBD oil (top quality) a couple of years back, but it did nothing for me. So I gave it to someone else, who it helped. So clearly it works for some but not others”

So as you can see, some wildly different experiences regarding CBD products.

The coffee mentioned above was purchased from the maker listed below in the link.

Cheerful Buddha

A new Facebook group has been set up for our page members to discuss their arts, crafts and hobbies.  We have some remarkably talented members.  It’s wonderful to see all the contributions. If there’s interest this could potentially be developed further, perhaps with online crafting sessions or lessons.  Let us know if that’d be of interest to you. 

We would love your contributions for the newsletter.  Please share your story, your crafts, poems, drawings, or anything of interest you’ve seen. 

Best wishes, stay safe and hope to see you online soon,

Some of our posts so far:

Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Centres – We are open……

Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service

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