In American history, July 5, 1776, doesn’t get the credit it deserves.
To remind you, that was the day that a bunch of Colonial wives were heard to say, “You signed WHAT? But you didn’t use you real name, did you?…You did? What were you thinking?”
Levity aside, July 5, 1776, and the days that followed until the British surrender at Yorktown in October 1781, were devoted to the grim task of backing up what the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776, proposed.
While July 4th was a day of celebration in Philadelphia, the ensuing days often proved difficult, sometimes almost hopeless, and the outcome uncertain as America’s war of independence raged on.
That’s a familiar story to us now, 241 years later.
But there are some parallels between those times and or own that are worthy of consideration.
It is often said America has never been more divided and its politics more polarized than it is today. We often refer to each other as “patriots” and “traitors” and are convinced that the other side is destroying our nation.
But even a cursory look at the political climate in which our nation was birthed confirms that we were divided from the start.
The children’s version of the Revolution suggests a popular uprising, where the colonists rose as one to break the chains of English bondage.
But that was not the case. Many colonists remained loyal to the Crown throughout the conflict. Historians estimate anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of colonists were Loyalists. The war made enemies of friends and neighbors and, in some cases even family, notably Benjamin Franklin, who never reconciled with his son, William, who remained an unrepentant Loyalist throughout his life.
As troubled as our relations are now, it’s worth noting that Americans have been arguing, sometimes bitterly, from the very start. We should take some comfort that America has always survived those dark days of division.
There is something else to be noted about the Declaration of Independence that still applies today: the power of the signature.
Fifty-six members of the Continental Congress, having agreed on the language of the Declaration of Independence, signed what was, essentially, a treasonous document, so far as Britain was concerned.
Had the document been signed only as “Members of the Continental Congress,” the signers would not have exposed themselves, which could have been the difference between life and death if the British had put down the revolution.
But there was power in their signatures. These were the leading men of their villages, towns and cities and their reputations imbued the document with credibility and power.
That’s important. It requires little courage and no restraint to make an anonymous claim. But when you sign your name to something, you are owning the consequences that follow.
Today, much of our public discourse, especially online, is conducted under a cloak of anonymity. We are all the worse for it. It cheapens our discourse.
So we are thankful that the 56 men who signed their names on the Declaration of Independence had the profound courage of conviction to state publicly, and at great personal risk, what so many others would admit only privately. No doubt, their public opinions emboldened many Colonists to risk all in the effort to create a free nation.
Today, is July 5. The holiday celebration is over. Let All Americans turn now to the hard work of building our nation and commit to honest, open dialogue.
It worked 241 years ago. It can work today.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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