None of Us Were There—To Dismiss Written History

DAY 188 - 26/7/7 -

The summer heat sizzled on the library's sidewalk, and the gentleman I was talking with wasn't satisfied with my answer. He and I were walking in a crowd that just watched the movie musical 1776. The story ended on a somber note, which confused me. The gentleman, however, crossed his arms and said, "We can't be sure how those events happened." I gladly replied, "We can. The founding fathers wrote letters and there are a ton of corroborated accounts about that first Independence Day." The gentleman stopped. Without emphasis, he said, "Well, none of us were there." He shook my hand and walked off.

"None of us were there." What a silly comment. Of course, none of us were there, but what does that prove? Are we unable to know what happened at an event simply because we didn't experience it? The logic is absurd, and I'll demonstrate that through these hypothetical texts:

DAN: Hey babe. How is the concert?
MARGO: It's Radical! The band came out with a confetti popper. They played all their hit songs, and there was this beach bal everyone passed around. The drummer bounced it off his cymbals. It's wild! Im sorry you can't be here.
DAN: Well, I just asked my buddies in the room, and they said they don't know what happened because none of them were there. Plus, your message has spelling errors and a few phrases I don't understand. Oh well. Guess I'll never know how the concert was.
MARGO: What? Are you breaking up with me?


This logic doesn't make sense. People are willing to trust what others write but won't trust what older people wrote because...I don't know...it was so long ago. How long is too long? A week? A year? 250 years? At what point does a respected account cease to be credible? As a writer, it concerns me that my own accounts could be dismissed within years (maybe months). What would be the point in recording anything? Perhaps this argument isn't about time or misunderstanding. It's about the difference between doing research or staying ignorant. Well, I did my research.

Want to know what happened 250 years ago?

The five writers of the Declaration of
Independence painted by John Trumbull.
The man farthest left is John Adams

Take a look at this letter from John Adams, Massachusetts delegate to the Continental Congress and future President of the United States. In July 1776, John wrote to his wife Abigail about Congress' latest document, the Declaration of Independence. Adams found it hard to describe how invaluable this document was. He said to Abigail, "if I could write with Freedom I could easily convince you." It seems even back then, people were saying, 'You just had to be there.' Adams also said that the day "will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America." He further wrote these profound words:

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

An excerpt from Adams' letter to Abigail, July 1776

It seems unreal that John Adams would be so accurate with his predictions. So, it's reasonable to believe that he wrote this after witnessing a few Independence Days. However, Adams' letter is dated July 3rd, and he predicted that it would be the 2nd that would be celebrated. Obviously, Adams wouldn't confuse the biggest detail about the 4th, if he had written about it afterwards. This is why Adams attempted to defend his assertions, stating, "You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not." Adams knew what independence meant for America, what it "will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States." Even so, he was sure "that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."

And how was such a day received? Charles Biddle, future Vice President of Pennsylvania’s Supreme Executive Council, wrote in his autobiography, "On the memorable Fourth of July, 1776, I was at the Old State-House yard when the Declaration of Independence was read. There were very few respectable citizens present." One such citizen was fourteen-year-old Deborah Norris Logan, who later wrote, "It was a time of fearful doubt and great anxiety."

A British engraving depicting the first
reading of the Declaration on July 8th
at the Pennsylvania State House

On July 8th, the Declaration was printed in the Dunlap Broadside for wide distribution. When Lt. Colonel Joseph Barton of New Jersey read it, he said, "It gives a great turn to the minds of our people declaring our independence. Now we know what to depend on." The Maryland Gazette said that the Declaration "was received with general applause and heart-felt satisfaction—And in the evening our late King's coat of arms...was burned amidst the acclamations of a croud of spectators." The Pennsylvania Evening Post recorded that the Declaration "was read aloud to a great number of spectators, who gave their hearty assent with three loud huzzas, and cried out MAY GOD LONG PRESERVE and UNITE the FREE and INDEPENDANT STATES of AMERICA." John Adams, too, wrote, "Three cheers rended the Welkin. The Battallions paraded on the common, and gave Us the Feu de Joy, notwithstanding the Scarcity of powder. The Bells rung all Day, and almost all night." That's a lot of old-fashioned language, but it's clear what Adams witnessed was a celebration.

Dunlap Broadside, July 1776.
First public printing of the Declaration

This is an admirable collection of personal letters, journals, and newspapers that all feature accounts of that first Independence Day. I could grab more, if need be, but I'm sure my point is made. Despite what the musical 1776 may assert, the day was not widely met with solace. Far from it. The truth is much bolder, and thanks to these well-preserved documents, this great history can be known and cherished. Sure, "none of us were there," but there were plenty of others who were, and they had a lot to say.

Sources

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