Gilmore: Remember why Independence Day matters

In the years leading up to July 4, 1776, many colonists did not want complete independence from England. But over time, British trade restrictions, taxes, and troops occupying America turned more and more colonists against British rule.

April 19, 1775 was the start of the shooting war of the American Revolution with battles at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The Continental Congress was formed. On June 7, 1776 a motion was made to declare independence from England. A committee was formed to draft such a declaration. Thomas Jefferson drafted a Declaration of Independence, John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Jefferson then revised it. July 2, the Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration. It was signed July 4, 1776. John Adams thought that Independence Day should be July 2.

Printer John Dunlap printed 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence and the copies were distributed to the Colonies. (Only 27 copies are accounted for today. The most recent copy discovered sold for $8.14 million.) On July 8 the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence took place at the Pennsylvania Statehouse (now called Independence Hall) in Philadelphia.

August 2, 1776 members of the Continental Congress signed an enlarged version of the Declaration of Independence; this document has John Hancock’s very large signature (so that the King of England could easily see his name without wearing glasses). The Revolutionary War continued until the Battle of Yorktown (near Williamsburg, Virginia) where one-third of the British forces in the United States were defeated and surrendered on October 19, 1781. That was the last battle of the Revolution. British troops began going home to England. The Revolutionary War officially ended September 3, 1783 with the Treaty of Paris. Congress debated years before adopting rules for our government – the Constitution of the United States – on September 17, 1787.

In 1870 July 4 was declared a holiday and became a federal holiday in 1938. The Statue of Liberty was formally presented to the United States on July 4, 1884. Ironically, 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed, two of its authors, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both died on July 4, 1870.

The War Memorial will be closed this July 4 to allow our volunteers to celebrate Independence Day. We invite you to visit our museum of military artifacts and photographs from WWI to Afghanistan. Our high-tech Education Center features five computer kiosks, each with information on 11 U. S. wars. We also have oral histories of the Vietnam War and WWII. Visit our gift shop for military tee shirts, ball caps, and military memorabilia.

We invite you to visit our Museum Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Our telephone number is 806-350-8387; our web page is www.TexasPanhandleWarMemorial.com

Perry Gilmore is executive director of the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Perry Gilmore why it's important to remember Independence Day