On the 4th July 1776 America declared independence form Britain – or did it?
After 442 days of fighting the British rebels in America escalated the rebellion and declared independence creating an entirely different struggle. This was no longer a rebellion about taxation, representation and rights; it was an attempt to break away from Britain altogether. That was embodied in the Declaration of Independence that was actually released on the 2nd of July. It was only ratified by the 12 colonies on July the 4th.
So the Declaration of Independence was actually released on the 2nd of July and only ratified by a mere 12 colonies on the East coast. Does it still apply?
Just think – if the British Parliament and King George had acted differently it might have had a different outcome. The Americans saw themselves as British citizens and the British saw it as a rebellion and struggle for their rights as British citizens. If the British had not been outraged by the wanton damage of British goods at the Boston Tea Party and escalated the affair into military response, if a compromise had been reached (as it was with stamp tax) then things might have gone in a different direction and America would have continued as a British colony in a similar way to Canada and Australia. Then we wouldn’t have had Trump would we?
I blame it on Massachusetts!! They were the ones that set up a militia to resist British troops.
Well the war went on for five more years and it was the intervention of the French, who seized the opportunity to support the Americans against their old enemy, that proved decisive.
So it was not just the fault of Massachusetts it was the French too!!
Then there was Tom Paine and his damn leaflets! He wanted the states to form their own governments. He set the ball rolling!
And Jefferson who wrote the declaration! He can’t be exonerated.
And John Locke – the English philosopher – on whose work Jefferson based his document. If he had been a dunce that declaration might have been too crap to endorse!
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” – too good! (Shame that they are never lived up to!).
It was followed with a list of grievances that justified them breaking away.
Even so, if parliament had negotiated with the rebels they would not have broken away and the world would be a different place. But that never happened and in 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris with Britain, the United States broke away from Britain.
The rest is history and here we are with Trump!!!
I wonder if King George, the British Parliament, Massachusetts, Tom Paine, Jefferson, John Locke or the French had the benefit of hindsight they might not have done it!
Still – you’ve got him and I wish you all the best!! Have a happy Independence day!!