Independence Day

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

2009

The Story of Independence Day
and America's Birthday

At the time of the signing the US consisted of 13 colonies under the rule of England's King George III. There was growing unrest in the colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England. This was commonly referred to as "Taxation without Representation" as the colonists did not have any representation in the English Parliament and had no say in what went on. As the unrest grew in the colonies, King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion. In 1774 the 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia Pennsylvania to form the First Continental Congress. The delegates were unhappy with England, but were not yet ready to declare war.

In April 1775 as the King's troops advanced on Concord Massachusetts Paul Revere would sound the alarm that "The British are coming, the British are coming" as he rode his horse through the late night streets. The battle of Concord and its "shot heard round the world" would mark the unofficial beginning of the colonies war for Independence.

By June 1776 their efforts had become hopeless and a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence. Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston and Roger Sherman. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft which was presented to the congress on June 28. After various changes a vote was taken late in the afternoon of July 4th. Of the 13 colonies, 9 voted in favor of the Declaration, 2 - Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted No, Delaware undecided and New York abstained.

To make it official, John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence. It is said that John Hancock signed his name "with a great flourish", so "King George can read that without spectacles."

Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof

And although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the 4th of July has been accepted as the official anniversary of United States independence. The first Independence Day celebration took place the following year - July 4 1777. By the early 1800s the traditions of parades, picnics, and fireworks were established as the way to celebrate America's birthday. And although fireworks have been banned in most places because of their danger, most towns and cities usually have big firework displays for all to see and enjoy.

God Bless The U S A

If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There's pride in every American heart
and it's time we stand and say:

Download this free "Fireworks Spectacular" screensaver from:

www.topdownloads.net

Star Spangled Banner Cake
Make your 4th of July family picnic fun and festive. Celebrate summer with this sure-to-please backyard barbecue favorite.

Ingredients
1 (16 oz.) family size Sara Lee Pound Cake, frozen
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups fresh strawberries, stems removed and sliced
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons water (optional)

Cut pound cake horizontally into 4 equal-size layers. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy; add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Add water as necessary to achieve desired consistency.

Arrange a cake layer on a serving plate; spread with frosting. Cover with a layer of strawberries. Place a second cake layer atop the strawberries; evenly spread with frosting. Top with a layer of blueberries. Place a third cake layer atop the blueberries; repeat with frosting and strawberries. Finish with a fourth cake layer.

Frost top of cake with remaining frosting. Decorate top to resemble an American flag. Place blueberries in the upper left corner. Make flag stripes with alternating horizontal rows of strawberry slices and frosting.

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