On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife, telling her that the day before, July 2, would go down as one of the most memorable and celebrated dates in American history. He was off by two days. Why?
The reason is simple and universal: People aren’t predictable. Logically, Americans should be celebrating the Second of July instead of the Fourth, because July 2, 1776 was the day that the Continental Congress voted for independence. The day that we celebrate, July 4, was the day that Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. We basically chose to celebrate paperwork over democracy. It’s understandable that Adams failed to see that coming.
The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.
– John Adams, July 3, 1776
In Adams’s eyes, it was the vote, not the adoption of the document that was the significant achievement. Looking at the inner-workings of democracy, it’s hard to argue with him — getting (almost) everyone to agree on something so fundamentally trajectory-altering was a significant achievement. It was the day that set into motion the formation of the country as it is now, but the day that we celebrate is pretty much the day we put at the top of the paperwork. Sure, maybe July 4 was the day Shit Got Real(TM), but as far as Big Steps go, Adams might’ve been right in saying that July 2 was the day that should’ve been remembered.
Adams thought that July 2 would be our day of, “Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.” Alas, that’s not how it transpired. As a nation, we went by the letter of the document and dubbed the Fourth of July the day of sparklers, fireworks, whizzbangs, Budweiser (America?), patriotic bunting, and potato salad. Adams’s prediction wasn’t a bad or unfounded one, but it turns out that seeing “July 4” atop the Declaration of Independence had a powerful impact, and that’s the day that stuck in American History.
50 years later, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826. So at least he finally came around on that date’s significance.
Maybe if news traveled a little faster in the 18th century, we’d all have July 2 off instead of July 4 (which would mean no long weekend this year). Maybe if the document had been signed in the same week or even the same month, that’s the day we’d be celebrating. After all, there are a slew of noteworthy dates related to our independence in July 1776. July 4 just happens to be the one printed on top of one of the most significant documents in the history of this nation.
"Mwezi Julai 3, 1776 John Adams alimwandikia mkewe barua akimwambia kwamba siku iliyotangulia, Julai 2, ingekuwa ""siku ya kukumbukwa na kusherehekewa zaidi katika historia ya Marekani.""" Alikuwa amechelewa kwa siku mbili. Kwa nini? Sababu ni rahisi na ya ulimwengu wote mzima: Watu hawawezi kutabiriwa. "Wamarekani wanapaswa kusherehekea siku ya pili ya Julai badala ya ya nne, kwa sababu Julai 2, 1776 ilikuwa siku ambayo Congress ya Bara ilipiga kura kwa uhuru.""" Siku ya 4 Julai, tarehe ambayo Marekani ilisherehekea kuanzishwa kwa Marekani, ni siku ambayo Marekani ilikubali tamko la uhuru. Kwa kweli tulichagua kusherehekea kazi ya karatasi juu ya demokrasia. Inaeleweka kwamba Adams alishindwa kuona hilo likija. Siku ya pili ya Julai 1776 ilikuwa siku muhimu sana katika historia ya Marekani. Ninaamini kwamba itasherehekewa, na vizazi vinavyofuata, kama Sherehe kubwa ya maadhimisho ya miaka. John Adams, Julai 3, 1776: Katika macho ya Adams, ilikuwa ni kura, si kupitishwa kwa hati ambayo ilikuwa mafanikio muhimu. Kuangalia kazi ya ndani ya demokrasia, ni vigumu kubishana naye - kupata (karibu) kila mtu kukubaliana juu ya kitu hivyo kimsingi trajectory-kubadilisha ilikuwa mafanikio muhimu. Ni siku ambayo ilianzisha kuundwa kwa nchi kama ilivyo sasa, lakini siku ambayo tunaisherehekea ni siku ambayo tumeweka juu ya karatasi. "Hakika, labda Julai 4 ilikuwa siku ya ""Shit Got Real"" lakini kwa kadiri Big Steps inavyoenda, Adams angeweza kuwa sahihi katika kusema kwamba Julai 2 ilikuwa siku ambayo inapaswa kukumbukwa." Adams alidhani kwamba Julai 2 ingekuwa siku yetu ya, <unk>Bells, Bonfires na Illuminations kutoka mwisho mmoja wa bara hili hadi mwingine.<unk> Alas, hiyo si jinsi ilivyotokea. "Kwa hiyo, kama taifa, tulifuata herufi ya hati hiyo na kuipa jina la ""Siku ya nne ya Julai"" siku ya sparklers, fireworks, whizz bangs, Budweiser (Amerika)." (Kichwa cha mchanga cha patriotic, na saladi ya viazi) Adams alitabiri kwamba siku ya 4 Julai itakuwa siku ya kuadhimisha miaka ya independence, lakini siku hiyo ilibaki katika historia ya Marekani. John Adams na Thomas Jefferson walifariki dunia Julai 4, 1826. Kwa hiyo angalau yeye hatimaye alikuja juu ya umuhimu wa tarehe hiyo. Labda kama habari zingeenda haraka zaidi katika karne ya 18, tungekuwa na siku ya likizo Julai 2 badala ya Julai 4 (ambayo ingemaanisha hakuna mwishoni mwa wiki mrefu mwaka huu). Labda kama hati hiyo ingekuwa imesainiwa katika wiki moja au hata mwezi mmoja, hiyo ndiyo siku ambayo tungekuwa tukisherehekea. Kwa kweli, kuna tarehe nyingi za kuvutia zinazohusiana na uhuru wetu mnamo Julai 1776. Julai 4 ni tarehe ya kwanza kuchapishwa kwenye hati muhimu zaidi katika historia ya taifa hili.