Happy July 4th

[TheDefender]

For those of you in the US, have a happy Independence Day, and try not to blow up your fingers lighting short fuses... Lord knows, it's hard enough to code with 10 digits...

For those of you not in the US, and who don't care about us celebrating our independence, you have a nice 4th day of July.

And to those valiant military men and women who are or ever did serve here and/or abroad, I salute each of you, and thank you for everything you have done to preserve freedom and the American way of life for the past 228 years.

May God Bless each and every one of you and your families this and every day!

(Just wanted to make sure my 500th post was one that meant a lot to me)

[drawmack]

If you're in France happy Bastille (hope I spelled that right) day.

[Weedpacket]

Happy Independence Day, Venezuela!

[Mordecai]

Happy three days after Canada Day!

(Still have most of my fingers! ..and the rest are charred.)

[piersk]

Originally posted by drawmack
If you're in France happy Bastille (hope I spelled that right) day.

...ahem.... Bastille day is July 14th...

Oh, and I'm not gonna wish anyone happy independance day for two reasons:

1. It means that America is not a Brit colony anymore (bah humbug.. kinda :glare: )
2. It was yesterday and I wasn't near a computer.

[The Chancer]

Happy July 4th as well (again not near a PC...)

As for other things that may have happened on that date... see This (http://www.historyorb.com/today/search.php?day=4&month=July&year=All+Years&e=1&start=0)

Anyone know why there was a twenty year gap between getting Independance and celebrating it ?

[dalecosp]

Originally posted by The Chancer
Happy July 4th as well (again not near a PC...)

As for other things that may have happened on that date... see This (http://www.historyorb.com/today/search.php?day=4&month=July&year=All+Years&e=1&start=0)

Anyone know why there was a twenty year gap between getting Independance and celebrating it ? Interesting question. And I, for one, must admit to some ignorance ... you use the term "getting it", by which I suppose you mean 1783? Or the "declaring" thereof, 1776?

My theory: It took a few years to gain independence after its declaration, during which time celebrating would have been presumptuous. And then, afterwards, there was general uncertainty about the form of government, etc., etc.

Of course, one more thing: In the eighteenth century, almost everyone had real work to do, and "holidaying" was often the furthest thing from their minds.

I'm in the middle of some huge download, so I'm likely not googling around on this now, but that is definitely something to think on ....

:)

[Weedpacket]

Anyone here from Malawi?

[Merve]

Happy belated CANADA Day :D

[The Chancer]

Ahh..

Ok - getting == attaining == declaring...

By hook or by crook (or by my dubious attempts at English) it was achieved by declaration...

I can see your point about the 18th Century though... a good reason not to have the time to celebrate it...

[drawmack]

Originally posted by piersk
...ahem.... Bastille day is July 14th...


I know that

[drawmack]

Originally posted by dalecosp
Interesting question. And I, for one, must admit to some ignorance ... you use the term "getting it", by which I suppose you mean 1783? Or the "declaring" thereof, 1776?
In the US we celebrate the declaration of independence, as we didn't end the war on July 4 but rather signed the DOI on July 4th

My theory: It took a few years to gain independence after its declaration, during which time celebrating would have been presumptuous. And then, afterwards, there was general uncertainty about the form of government, etc., etc.
After the war we had the Articles of Confederation as our first government. This was designed with a very weak central government as a reaction to being bullied by the central government of England which the colonies had no seat in. However it was quickly found that we needed a strong central government. So after 10 years under the articles of confederation Jefferson and a few others got together and wrote up the papers on a new type of government with a strong central seat. This then took another 5 years to ratify and gain acceptance, so it wasn't actually until almost 1800 that we put the government we have today in place.

Of course, one more thing: In the eighteenth century, almost everyone had real work to do, and "holidaying" was often the furthest thing from their minds.
http://www.fourth-of-july-celebrations.com/