The fourth of July is filled with Family, BBQ's, Baseball, Parades and of course Golf, finalized with a big bang of colorful explosive sent into the sky!  So what is all this for? The significance of the fourth of July should be obvious to most Americans as Independence Day, the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress in 1776 in order to formally declare independence from Great Britain. However, we sometimes forget the deeper impact this declaration represents.

Small trivial fact, the day America declared independence from Great Britain is actually July 2nd, as this is the date of the vote by the Continental Congress to declare independence from Great Britain. In fact, John Adams had wrote his wife after the vote that, “July 2nd would become a great American Holiday”. July 4th, on the other hand, is the date that the Declaration of Independence was formally drafted by Thomas Jefferson with minor changes coming from Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. The document was sent to printers with the immediate signatures of the President of Congress, John Hancock and Secretary, Charles Thompson. It wasn’t until July 19th that Congress ordered a handwritten copy to show all 56 delegates’ signatures, which was finalized on August 2nd. News of the declaration did not even arrive in London until August 10th and the draft with all delegates signatures was not officially printed until January 18th, 1777.

So again, what is the big deal? What should stand out by the Declaration of Independence is not only that it expresses our freedom from Great Britain, but that it was signed with the full knowledge that it could be a death sentence to America under future retaliation from the British Crown or another force without backing from the British Crown. Great Britain had ruled the world for centuries, but a small unified faction of colonies was able to defend their new land and establish it for themselves from such a great power. Our country was started by the establishment of a military that could defend its land and we have maintained our freedom by continuing to have the most powerful force to protect our rights, thoughts and citizens. Our military has been voluntary for most of it existence and we owe so much gratitude and remembrance to those that have served to protect our freedoms and allow us to thrive as a safe country of thinking and advancement.

The fourth of July is a day that we must remember our roots and heritage as most of us have roots from somewhere else and we must respect the pride, courage, and perseverance of our ancestors. It is not only a day to remember the past, but also to think of the future. We are a country that became great by thinking out of the box and pushing ourselves to the max. America has embraced and produced some of the greatest minds the world has known, while offering protection in times of destruction and persecution. The land we call home has been a fast paced incubator to the age were are in today, but we must not forget our roots and how all this has become. We must continue the journey of our ancestors and excel as a united society, learning from the past, looking towards the future, protecting our rights and never living in fear of those that may oppose our goals, ambitions or freedoms!