8 Big Events - US Independence

On July 4, we celebrate our world-shaking proclamation, the Declaration of Independence.  Jefferson’s “all men are created equal”, “life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness”, governments get their powers from the people - continue to inspire us.  While surely significant, it was only one of 8 Big Events that created the United States.

1.       The French and Indian War (1754-1763) – the colonists fought as loyal Englishmen alongside British redcoats to drive the French out of North America. 

 

2.       The Stamp Act – the Brits put a tax on dozens of items to help pay for the war against the French. The colonists cry foul, and many shout “no taxation without representation”.  (translation – you can’t tax us without our consent, lads)

3.    Boston Massacre – British soldiers fire their weapons at a mob of Bostonians who pelt them with snowballs and other icy missiles.   Outrage throughout the colonies, and Patrick Henry names it a “massacre”, even though only 5 are killed.

4.    Boston Tea Party – Massachusetts men (the Sons of Liberty), poorly disguised as Indians, dumped an entire shipment of British tea into Boston Harbor.  England responded with punitive acts (names like The Coercive Act – yikes), and the colonists convened the First Continental Congress to deal with the escalating tensions.

5.    Lexington & Concord – Having occupied Boston, the British army sets off for Concord to capture a secret store of weapons.  Paul Revere sets out on horseback to warn the towns along the way that the soldiers are on the march.  Minutemen prepare their weapons and war breaks out.

6.    Declaration of Independence – members of the Continental Congress approve the declaration with its universal principles and appeal to other nations for recognition.  It is an act of treason against the King of England and Parliament.

7.    The Revolutionary War – It’s one thing to declare it; now they had to make it stick. From 1775 through 1781, at places like Saratoga, Valley Forge and, finally, at Yorktown the colonists and their ever improving Continental Army eventually drive the British to surrender (ironically, with French help)

8.    The US Constitution – After working from May to September 1787, the new United States is fashioned under the leadership of Madison, Hamilton, Washington and 32 other patriots. 

An entire generation devoted themselves to creating a nation.  George Washington was thirty-three years old when the Stamp Act passed and 55 when the Constitution was completed.  

June 6

On this day, 73 years ago, the Allies successfully landed a force of 160,000 soldiers on the coast of northwest France.  It took 7,000 ships and 12,000 aircraft to accomplish, and was the critical step to achieve the liberation of Western Europe from German control.  The film, Saving Private Ryan, very well portrays what it must have been like – brutal and bloody - the largest amphibious (seaborne) invasion in history.

Nazi Germany had occupied France for 4 years, and had constructed massive barriers and gun emplacements to repel any invasion from the sea.  Nevertheless, the American, British, Canadian, Free French and Free Polish forces overcame the resistance of the very tough Germans and soon began their liberation of France. 

Anyone who fought there who still lives is at least 90 years old.  Anyone alive at the time surely clearly recalls the drama and danger of that time.   

By August, the Allied armies had pushed back the German forces enough to free the city of Paris.  It took until May 1945 for American, British and Russian armies to achieve final victory over Germany.  But the beginning of the end of the war in Europe was on this day, June 6 1944. 

The war against Japan continued in the Far East until September, 1945 - hastened by the two nuclear bombs we dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.