Declaration of Independence: Reading it aloud on July 4th - chicagotribune.com
Last year on the Fourth of July a group of Americans of all ages crowded into a red barn in a Midwestern beach community. It was raining, so the hot dog grilling and the potluck dinner were moved from the scenic shore of Lake Michigan to the cramped, damp barn. People sat on benches and chairs, balancing paper plates stacked with potato salad, three-bean salad, chips, dogs and brownies.
On a small stage a man in khakis and a well-worn sweater began to recite the Declaration of Independence.
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people ...
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 ...
He recited not just the parts you probably know. He did the whole thing. When he announced he was going to do this, the crowd groaned.
But hearing the Declaration is quite different from reading it. You probably last read it in high school. You probably have never heard, in its entirety, "The unanimous Declaration of the 13 united States of America". It's strong stuff.
Initially, the people listening to the man in the barn were restive. They wanted to be at the beach. But folks grew quiet and listened in respectful silence. Then they responded with cheers and fist pumps as he called off King George III's "long train of abuses and usurpations." There are upwards of two dozen listed in the Declaration. Depriving citizens of trial by jury. Taxing without consent of the people.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coast, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
At those words, people cheered loudly: A big, lusty, cheer for our ancestors.
The colonists methodically built a case for separation from the crown. They recounted in detail the lengths the colonies had gone to resolve this long-simmering dispute without breaking bonds with Great Britain. They submitted all the facts "to a candid world."
And, finally, they declared their independence, and their resolve.
And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
The words have astonishing power and eloquence. They stand the test of time. Credit the principal author, Thomas Jefferson.
The Second Continental Congress approved a resolution of independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776. This put the world on notice of the colonies' intentions. Two days later, after modifications Jefferson called "depradations," the Congress approved the Declaration. Most of the members of the Congress got around to signing it on Aug. 2, 1776.
John Adams predicted in a July 3 letter to his wife, Abigail, that July 2 would be "celebrated by succeeding generations ... with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more." And so it is, though he was wrong about which date would be commemorated.
So, start the parades. Let the "illuminations" fly. Light the bonfires. And how about starting a new tradition? Find the text of the Declaration of Independence and read it aloud. It takes less than 10 minutes — though you might want to allow some extra time for the cheers.
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