Happy Independence Day

Let's not forget about what our day off of drinking beer and blowing off our fingers is really about.

The Declaration of Independence is a great document to read. It starts off like everyone remembers, then goes off on all of the things the king of Great Britain was doing to the colonists. Here are some of my favorites. Note the hyperbole and awesome 18th century language:

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

and

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

After all that, we get the huge finale. It still kicks ass 232 years later:

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

After that, they all signed it. Think about what that meant at the time. These were the bright lights of the colonies, many of whom went on to write the Constitution and become founding fathers, putting their names down as traitors against the biggest and baddest empire the world had ever seen. If Britain had put down the rebellion, they all would have been executed. Now THAT'S courage.

Finally, let's not forget what followed: a war that annoyed the British enough to finally leave us alone. Yes! USA! USA!