Happy Independence Day

Fishermage

I want to wish you all a VERY happy 4th of July. Today, we feast in freedom. Thank Providence and the blood, sweat and tears of untold men and women who have granted us this blessing. May we be worthy of their legacy.

 

Porfat

I'll salute that.

declaredemer

The events that led to the separation and Declaration of Independence are surprisingly straight-forward:

• Taxes to support the French and Indiana War

  • Sugar and molasses tax;
  • Stamp Act
    • newspapers;
    • legal papers;
    • playing cards.
  • Colonists hated taxes --did not think they were fair-- and had no respresentation
    • Colonists began to boycott British goods;
    • Colonists argued that taxation without representation was a violation of the English constitution and the natural rights of human beings;
    • Soldiers were sent to colonial towns;
  • Boston Massacre
    • British government lifts all taxes except for tax on tea
  • Boston Tea Party
    • Enraged British government
  • Intolerable Acts Passed
    • Punished the colonies
    • Enraged the colonists
  • Representatives ("delegates") meet in Carpenter's Hall, thereby creating the First Continental Congress

 

It is not a stretch to say that the origins of the Revolutionary War was a tax revolt.  If you study the history of taxation in a college course, usually as a brief introductory to Federal Taxation, you would learn precisely that. 

 

It strikes me to think of a baffled King thinking of his rebellious "subjects," as around one-third of them would Declare

• Independence
• Equality
• Life
• Liberty
• Pursuit of Happiness
• Justice

Independence would not be a victory march.  It would require tremendous sacrafice.  The loss of farms.  The loss of livelihood.  Dedication and commitment to the "cause" of liberty.  Families were separated.  The mightiest empire in the world, your enemy.  Independence did prevail, and Liberty --not a king-- would reign.  

tvalentine

happy birfday USA.

Zindaihas

Happy 233rd USA.  May there be many more where that came from.

Precusor

HB all.