By Colleen Schuler, e-Management

Soon—July 4th to be exact—it will be Independence Day for the United States, the day we celebrate our independence from British rule. (Happy to say we’ve kissed and made up since then!)

There are plenty of other countries that celebrate their independence from another country. Here are a few. See if you can match the “liberated” country with the “independence from” country. No fair looking at the answers until you’ve at least taken a stab at matching.

I don’t know about you, but I really feel the need to brush up on my world history! (Note: Answers are located at the end of this posting.)

Back in the U.S. of A.

Let’s have some fun testing our knowledge about the history of our independence.

1.    The Declaration of Independence begins with these words…
a.    “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”
b.    “When in the Course of human events…”
c.    “We the People…”

2.    There are ___ signatures on the Declaration.
a.    56
b.    62
c.    58

3.    There are some historians who argue that not all of the signatures took place on July 4, 1776. They say most delegates signed the Declaration on…
a.    July 18
b.    August 2
c.    September 3

4.    The president of the Continental Congress at the time of the writing of the Declaration was…
a.    John Adams
b.    Samuel Adams
c.    John Hancock

Bonus question…

5.    After the Declaration had been approved, Congress had John Dunlap of Philadelphia print about 200 broadsides for distribution. Of the 200 broadsides, 26 have survived. The 26th broadside was found in:
a.    England
b.    France

Mutual Pledge

So how did you do? Let’s take a look at the Declaration. If you haven’t read it recently, I highly recommend reading it again.

The Declaration has an introduction (“When in the Course of human events…”); the preamble; and the body of the document, which outlines the grievances of the colonists toward King George III. The closing section mentions our appeal to British citizens (especially those in authority or who were prominent) and subsequent disappointment, and the last paragraph appeals to God and declares that we are free and independent of Great Britain.

So much gets written about the preamble. But the very last sentence of the Declaration was what drew my attention: “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.”

Here were 56 delegates from 13 colonies with different religious backgrounds and political beliefs, ranging in ages from 26 to 70 years old, yet they were able to unite around a cause that they strongly believed in. They were earnest. I’m sure they weren’t deep close personal friends with each and every fellow delegate but they made a commitment to each other with their lives, wealth, and reputation for freedom and a new nation.

A Question of Independence

So as you celebrate July 4th with backyard BBQs, fireworks, parades, flying Old Glory, or an extended vacation, take a moment to reflect on the beginnings of our country. Ask yourself:

1.    What do you believe in so strongly that you would give your life for?
2.    When was the last time you pledged your life, your fortune, or your sacred honor to someone that wasn’t your loved one?

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Answers (Part 1): 1.d; 2.a; 3.e, 4.b; 5.g; 6.c; 7.f
Answers (Part 2 ): The answers to the Back to U.S. of A questions are b, a, b, c, and a. By the way, the 26th broadside wasn’t found until 2009 at England’s National Archives in Kew in Richmond, Surrey, by an American bookseller doing research.