Independence Day

July usually brings the heat of summer, thoughts of ice cream and ways to cool down as the national celebrates the 4^th of July with picnics, parades and fireworks. This year may we pause for a moment and think about what we, as a people of the United States, are celebrating.

The 4^th of July, also known as Independence Day, became a federal holiday in 1941 and has been celebrated since the American Revolution. Representatives of the thirteen original colonies came together in June of 1776 to write a resolution declaring their independence from Great Britain. A vote was taken by the Continental Congress on July 2^nd favoring independence and on July 4^th the delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence.

The wording of the Declaration of Independence can be seen at the link below:

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

If you ever find yourself in Washington, D.C., in my opinion it worth everyone’s time to take a trip to the National Archives and see the original document. The signatures are fading and there may come a time when it is declared the original document is too fragile to be in public so be sure to go see it.

So, how we make Independence Day personal? Do you have an ancestor that served during the Revolutionary War? The Daughters of the American Revolution have a great website that you can search to see if a member of your family is already listed as a patriot. Their website is

www.dar.og

The land for both this church and the Lisle Cemetery were donated by James C. Hatch. James was the son of Capt. Azel Hatch who served during the War of 1812. Capt. Reuben Hatch and Joseph Hatch, the grandfather and great-grandfather, respectively, of James Hatch served during the Revolutionary War. Reuben’s records state he was a civil servant from the state of New Hampshire. Joseph was a soldier from Connecticut. I can imagine that James grew up hearing many stories about the war and assume the 4^th of July was an important holiday for their family.

So this 4^th of July, think about what our Founding Fathers went through writing the Declaration of Independence and all the people who served in the war and continue to serve in the military today.

Grace and blessings to all.