happy real independence day!

Even though I'm a little late, I want to take a moment to wish everyone a happy real Independence Day! July 2, 1776, was actually the day that the Declaration of Independence was voted on and ratified. John Adams wrote in his diary that July 2nd would be celebrated by Americans for decades to come, but he was two days off because it took a couple of days for Thomas Jefferson to make the necessary changes to the official document. Everyone actually signed the Declaration on the 4th, and if you ever get a chance to see the actual document at the National Archives in DC, you will see the real copy has the traditional July 4th date. But in the spirit of fun facts and in the spirit of good old fashioned rebellion, I want to wish everyone a Happy July 2nd!

If I may make a suggestion for patriotic reading and movie watching for this wonderful holiday weekend, here they are.

Read 1776 by David McCullough. Even if you are not a history buff, you will probably become one after you read this book. McCullough is an amazing writer, and the story of the American Revolution is absolutely spellbinding. I could not put this book down last summer. As a history teacher, I knew how this story was going to end (happily), but there were times when I was sure that the Americans were not going to be able to pull themselves out of some very sticky situations. This is a great, fun read. In fact, even some of my students read it and liked it, and they are very tough book critics.

Watch the John Adams series done by HBO. This series was released on DVD a couple of years ago and tells the story of John Adams' role in the birth and formation of our country. The acting is impeccable, the writing is excellent, and the production quality is top-notch. A lot of the filming is done on-site in Williamsburg, Boston, and Philadelphia. The scenes about the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence are some of my favorite in the whole series as they beautifully depict the weight of the words of that magnificent document and gravity of those moments in the history of America and the world.

Enjoy and Happy Independence Day!