Thursday, July 4, 2013

Myths About the 4th of July


Above is a great NPR interview with Ray Raphael, author of Founding Myths, telling some of the myths of the colonial period.  Here and here are written summaries of the myths of the 4th of July.  As we all know the 2nd Continental Congress approved (voted) independence on the 2nd, but did not approve the final wording until the 4th at which point it was agreed to be sent out to the colonies.  Hence we have a written date which has won out over the actual vote.  Most people did not sign the declaration until the 8th of August (although the first person was on  August 2nd) and there were 200 copies of the document made and released before the actual signed one that is now in Washington, D.C.  Several of those copies still exist.  There is more in the articles and the interview. 

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