| Making Sense of The 4th of July (part 1) By Pauline Maier Jun
28, 2008, 12:25 PST Copyright ; 1997 American Heritage, Inc. All
rights reserved. "Reprinted from AMERICAN HERITAGE, August 7,
1997.) John Adams thought Americans would commemorate their
Independence Day on the second of July. Future generations, he
confidently predicted, would remember July 2, 1776, as "the most
memorable Epocha, in the History of America" and celebrate it as
their "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." His proposal, however odd it seems today,
was perfectly reasonable when he made it in a letter to his
wife, Abigail. On the previous day, July 2, 1776, the Second
Continental Congress had finally resolved "That these United
Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent
States, that they are absolv