Quote:
Originally Posted by theking
Today is the birthday of the declaration of independence.
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No it's not.
July 2, 1776 was the day that the Continental Congress declared independence.
July 4, 1776 was the day that the Continental Congress adopted the actual DOCUMENT.
And the document was signed until August 2, 1776, and not released to the public until Jan. 1777
Here's what John Adams wrote on July 3, 1776:
John Adams, writing a letter home to his beloved wife Abigail the day after independence was declared (i.e. July 3), predicted that from then on"the Second of July, 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival." A scholar coming across this document in the nineteenth century quietly" corrected" the document, Adams predicting the festival would take place not on the second but the fourth.
EDIT: And I just realized, that IF any of this were taking place in 2011...all the founding fathers would be categorized as "terrorists". lol