top 5 myths about the fourth of july! - chico texan 4th 2009 special section...page 2. . . happy...

. . . Happy Birthday, America

Top 5 Myths About the Fourth of July! #1 INDEPENDENCE WAS

DECLARED ON THE FOURTHOF JULY.

America's independencewas actually declared by theContinental Congress on July2, 1776. The night of the sec-ond the Pennsylvania EveningPost published the statement:"This day the Continental Con-gress declared the UnitedColonies Free and IndependentStates."

So what happened on theGlorious Fourth? The docu-ment justifying the act of Con-gress-you know it as ThomasJefferson's Declaration of In-dependence-was adopted onthe fourth, as is indicated onthe document itself, which is,one supposes, the cause for allthe confusion. As one scholarhas observed, what has hap-pened is that the document an-nouncing the event has over-shadowed the event itself.

When did Americans firstcelebrate independence? Con-gress waited until July 8, whenPhiladelphia threw a big party,including a parade and the fir-ing of guns. The army underGeorge Washington, thencamped near New York City,heard the new July 9 and cel-ebrated then. Georgia got theword August 10. And when didthe British in London finallyget wind of the declaration?August 30.

John Adams, writing a let-ter home to his beloved wifeAbigail the day after indepen-dence was declared (i.e. July3), predicted that from then on"the Second of July, 1776, willbe the most memorableEpocha, in the History ofAmerica. I am apt to believe itwill be celebrated, by succeed-ing Generations, as the greatanniversary Festival." Ascholar coming across thisdocument in the nineteenthcentury quietly "corrected" thedocument, Adams predictingthe festival would take placenot on the second but thefourth.

#2 THE DECLARATION OFINDEPENDENCE WAS SIGNED

JULY 4.

Hanging in the grand Ro-tunda of the Capitol of theUnited States is a vast canvaspainting by John Trumbull de-picting the signing of the Dec-laration. Both ThomasJefferson and John Adamswrote, years afterward, that thesigning ceremony took placeon July 4. When someone chal-lenged Jefferson's memory inthe early 1800's Jefferson in-sisted he was right. The truth?As David McCullough re-marks in his new biography ofAdams, "No such scene, withall the delegates present, everoccurred at Philadelphia."

So when was it signed?Most delegates signed thedocument on August 2, whena clean copy was finally pro-duced by Timothy Matlack,assistant to the secretary ofCongress. Several did not signuntil later. And their nameswere not released to the publicuntil later still, January 1777.The event was so uninspiringthat nobody apparently both-ered to write home about it.Years later Jefferson claimed toremember the event clearly,regaling visitors with tales ofthe flies circling overhead. Butas he was wrong about the date,so perhaps he was wrong evenabout the flies.

The truth about the signingwas not finally established un-til 1884 when historian MellonChamberlain, researching themanuscript minutes of the jour-nal of Congress, came upon theentry for August 2 noting asigning ceremony.

As for Benjamin Franklin'sstatement, which has inspiredpatriots for generations, "Wemust all hang together, or mostassuredly we shall hang sepa-rately" … well, there's no proofhe ever made it.

#3 THE LIBERTY BELLRANG IN AMERICAN

INDEPENDENCE.Well of course you know

now that this event did not hap-pen on the fourth. But did ithappen at all? It's a famousscene. A young boy with blondhair and blue eyes was sup-posed to have been posted inthe street next to Independence

Hall to give a signal to an oldman in the bell tower when in-dependence was declared. Itnever happened. The story wasmade up out of whole cloth in

the middle of the nineteenthcentury by writer GeorgeLippard in a book intended forchildren. The book was aptlytitled, Legends of the Ameri-

can Revolution. There was nopretense that the story wasgenuine.

If the Liberty Bell rang atcontinued on page 16

Happy Birthday, America. . .


by Whitney BridwellThe history of The

Star Spangled Bannerbegins with a poem writ-ten in 1814 by an ama-teur poet. Francis ScottKey was 35 years oldwhen he penned Defenceof Fort McHenry afterwitnessing the attack ofFort McHenry by RoyalNavy ships in Chesa-peake Bay during theWar of 1812.

The tune used for theanthem came from apopular British drinkingsong written by JohnStafford Smith for theAnacreonitic Society, asocial club for gentlemenin London. The drinkingsong had already had al-ready become popular inthe United States beforebeing teamed with Key’spoem. Soon after thejoining of the song andpoem, The Star SpangledBanner became a wellknown patriotic song.The original song hasfour stanzas; however,the first stanza is themost commonly usedversion.

In September of1814, Key and JohnStuart Skinner (who wasan American prisoner-exchange agent) set sailfrom Baltimore aboardthe HMS Minden on amission approved byPresident Madison. Theplan was to secure the re-lease of Dr. WilliamBeanes, a physician inUpper Marlboro, and afriend of Key who hadbeen captured.

The Star SpangledBanner was recognizedby the Navy for its offi-cial use in 1889 and bythe President in 1916.The tune didn’t becomeour national anthem un-til a congressional reso-lution (46 Stat. 1508,codified at 36 U.S.C. §301) was passed onMarch 3, 1931 by Presi-dent Herbert Hoover.

Before the congres-sional resolution, other

songs had served as the‘anthem’. My Country,‘Tis of Thee served as ade facto national anthemand Hail, Columbiaserved as the de factonational anthem fromPresident Washington’stime through the 18thand 19th centuries. Theduo transferred to theBritish flagship HMSTonnant and spoke withMajor General RobertRoss and AdmiralAlexander Cochrane,discussing war plans.While the Major Generaland Admiral refused torelease the men at first,they soon changed theirminds after being shownletters by wounded Brit-ish soldiers praisingBeanes and other Ameri-cans for their kindness.

Key and Skinner let itslip that they had hearddetails from British sol-diers about an attack onBaltimore and were heldcaptive on first the HMSSurprise and later onHMS Minden until thebombardment. The nightof the bombardment,Key observed the Ameri-can fort’s smaller stormflag was raised, but bythe end of the attack, thestorm flag had been re-placed by a larger flag.

The sight of theAmerican flag and vic-tory inspired Key. Theflag, with its fifteen starsand stripes, later becameknown as The StarSpangled Banner Flagand can be found on dis-play at the National Mu-seum of American His-tory. It has been restoredtwice; once in 1914 byAmelia Fowler and againin 1998 for conservationreasons.

Still sitting aboard theship the morning afterthe bombardment, Keywrote a poem and kept ittucked inside a pocket.By evening, he and Skin-ner were released in Bal-timore. He continued towork on the poem in his

hotel room and titledthe work Defence ofFort McHenry.Much of the idea forthe poem and someof the wording camefrom an earlier poemby Key calledAnacreon in Heavenwhich is said to havebeen written in honorof Stephen Decaturand Charles Stewarton their return fromthe First BarbaryWar.

After completingDefence of FortMcHenry, Keyhanded the poem tohis brother-in-law,Judge Joseph H.N i c h o l s o n .Nicholson noted thatthe poem fit with thepopular tune of TheAnacreon Song andtook it to a printer inBaltimore, whoanonymously printedbroadside copies of it(the first knownprinting of the song)on September 17. Ofthe original copiesmade by the anony-mous printer, onlytwo known copiessurvive.

The song quicklygained popularitywith the help of sev-eral newspapersprinting it. Soon af-ter publication, Tho-mas Carr of the CarrMusic Store in Bal-timore published thewords and music to-gether, titled The Star-Spangled Banner. Popu-larity increased furtherand performances of thesong started in October.

By the end of July in1889, Secretary of theNavy Benjamin F. Tracysigned General Order#374 making the song theofficial tune to be playedwhen raising the flag. In1916, President Wilsonordered the song to beplayed at military andother appropriate occa-sions.

It was not until No-vember of 1929, whenRobert Ripley drew apanel in his syndicatedcartoon, Ripley’s Believeit or Not!, stating that“Believe It or Not,America has no nationalanthem,” that John PhilipSousa took notice of thisfact, and in 1931, statedthat the music of The StarSpangled Banner “...is thespirit of the music that in-spires”.

On March 3, 1931,President Hoover passeda law adopting The StarSpangled Banner as the

official national anthemof the United States.

It is custom in theUnited States that duringa rendition of the na-tional anthem, allpresent except those inuniform should stand atattention facing the flagwith their right handover their heart. Indi-viduals in uniformshould give the militarysalute on the first note ofthe anthem and remainin that position until thelast note is played.

The Star SpangledBanner has gained

worldwide popularity andhas been translated intoGerman, Hebrew, Yid-dish, Spanish, French,Somoan, Irish and thethird verse has been trans-lated into Latin.

Note: Information forthis story was found onwikipedia.com andamericanhistory.si.edu. Ifyou would like to hearAnacreon In Heaven, visith t t p : / /americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/the-melody.aspx.


One may be hard-pressed tofind a person who doesn't en-joy a breathtaking fireworksdisplay. These pyrotechnic de-lights are one of the hallmarksof the summer season. Parks,area beaches and many otherrecreational areas feature fire-works displays to light up thenighttime sky. Fireworks arealso very popular for personaluse, with peak use around bigholidays, such as Indepen-dence Day or Canada Day.

Consumer fireworks, ifused in accordance with theirinstructions, are very safe, saysthe National Council on Fire-works Safety. Injuries fromconsumer fireworks have dra-matically decreased over thepast twenty years, despite anincrease in usage by consum-ers. Today, some form of con-sumer fireworks are allowed in45 states, Puerto Rico and theDistrict of Columbia. But somefireworks can be dangerous. Itis recommended that you onlybuy consumer fireworks froma licensed store or stand. Neverbuy fireworks from anindividual's house, or fromsomeone on the street. Suchfireworks are likely to be ille-gal explosives that can causeserious injury.

Consumer fireworks regu-lated by the Consumer Prod-uct Safety Commission arepackaged in bright colors andhave safety warnings on thepackaging. The packaging setsforth the country of origin, nor-mally China. Typical consumerfireworks include fountains,cones, sparklers, fire crackers,bottle rockets, and multipletube products. Illegal explo-sives are often unpackaged andare wrapped with plain brownpaper. They are unlikely tohave any safety warnings, orplace of manufacture. Many of

Enjoy fireworks in a safe mannerthem are handmade in base-ments or illicit factories. Theygo by names such as M80,Quarter Stick or Cherry Bomb.If someone approaches you tosell one of these illegal explo-sives, politely decline and thencall your local police depart-ment.

If you're planning on enjoy-ing fireworks at your next partyor event, follow these safetytips.

•Only use fireworks if theyare legal in your area. Shoot-ing fireworks illegally willlikely result in fireworks con-fiscation by authorities (awaste of your money), fines oreven jail time.

•Fireworks are for outdooruse only. Do not light them in-doors and then carry them out-side.

•Follow the instructions forfireworks usage on the pack-aging. Use them only as in-tended. Do not try to combinefireworks to get a bigger bangor light display.

•Keep water in a bucket anda hose nearby for safety rea-sons.

•Fireworks should be oper-ated soley by an adult. This

adult should wear safetyglasses. Spectators should keepa safe distance. Always letcommon sense prevail.

•Don't hold fireworks inyour hand or have any part ofyour body over them whilelighting.

•Don't try to re-light a "dud"firework. Wait 20 minutes ormore and then extinguish thedud in a bucket of water.

•Sparklers can be beautifulbut also dangerous. Do not letchildren under the age of 12handle sparklers.

•Point fireworks away fromhomes, and keep away frombrush, leaves and flammablesubstances. The National FireProtection Association esti-mates that local fire depart-ments respond to more 50,000fires caused by fireworks eachyear.•Never throw or point fire-works at someone, even in jest.•Be respectful of others. Do notshoot fireworks off for a longduration into the wee hours ofthe night. Neighbors may betrying to get some sleep.•By being safe, you can ensurethat this summer fireworks sea-son will be enjoyable and a de-light to behold.

Did You Know?

Fireworks are known and loved all over theworld. They're often a part of festivals and holi-days, adding excitement and spectacle. The in-vention of fireworks is credited to the Chinese. Thefirst fireworks were actually green bamboo thatwere thrown into fires to scare spirits away in an-cient China, called "pas chuk." It is believed thatgunpowder was discovered accidentally by a Chi-nese alchemist who mixed sulphur and salt peter(potassium nitrate) over a fire. The Chinese namefor gunpowder is "huo yao" (fire chemical).

Blind Mans’ 4th of Julyby Berta Slagle Morris

Being blind is a runningevent of challenges and adjust-ments. But on the 4th of Julyin the mid 1970’s near Guthrie,Oklahoma, my children re-ceived a life lesson we, as anuprooted Texas family, wouldnever forget.

My children had a long dis-tance relationship with theirgrandparents, so it was a natu-ral thing for the older couplenext door to become PaPaLeon and Nanny Goodeaux,surrogate grandparents.

The kids knew that Leonhad been blind since age 16;they had been told very often.

When Wayne, age 4, wouldtry to show Leon the picture hedrew, Leon would say, “This isa good job, Wayne, but can youtell me what it is and what col-ors you used?”

Or when Shirley, age 6,would ask, “See my hairbows?” Leon would say, “Yousound excited, what color arethey?” Shirley would say,“They are blue, silly Papa.”

Robert, age 8, would followLeon around and hand himtools to fix the gate and Leonwould say, “Is this the greenscrewdriver or the yellowone?” Leon had the size oftools matched to the color; sowhen he asked for the yellowone, he knew the size and if itwas a phillips or slot head.

And at lunch and dinner,Nanny would put a plate infront of Leon and say, “Meatis at 3 o’clock, potatoes at 6,and corn is at 8.”

BUT the most amazingthing was when the kids sawLeon on the 4th of July, hewould say, “What time are yougoing to shoot fireworks?”They would say “darktime”,and he would respond with arequest to be invited to “watch”the fireworks.

How could this be? We allwondered, how he could SEEthe fireworks!

The long-awaited darktimefinally came; we gathered inthe front yard, at the edge ofthe street. We were full of friedchicken and watermelon; wewere “4th of July happy.’’

Underneath the joy, how-ever, my family was concernedabout PaPa Leon.

HOW COULD ABLIND MAN

SEE FIREWORKS?Leon started the event by

saying, “Is it dark yet? I am soready to ‘watch’ those RomanCandles, they are my favorite.”

Anxious eyes rested onLeon. My kids sent unspokenquestions my way.

My son Robert, picked upa Roman Candle - it seemedas if it were with dread. Myother two children, Wayne andShirley, followed suit. TheirDad walked over to light them,one by one. The kids pointedthem toward the sky; the Ro-man Candles started to sizzle.

Just before the burstsstarted their assent to the heav-ens, Leon told the kids, “Shoutout what color they are, realloud, so Papa Leon can hearyou!”

Color shouts echoedthroughout the neighborhood,“green!”- “blue!” - “yellow!’ -“red! ”.

“RED?” shouts Paps Leon,“Red is my favorite of all, it isa happy, exciting color. Justright for a 4th of July celebra-tion!”

My family would NEVERforget the blind man’s Fourthof July or the lessons learned.

Happiness and celebrationare in your heart, and what-ever obstacle you may have toovercome, or what challengesyou must face, a cheerful atti-tude is the first step towardwinning the battle.

“God bless you, Leon,whereever you are...for shar-ing a blind man’s Fourth ofJuly.”

. . . Happy Birthday, America!

by J.D. ClarkEach year, the President of

the United States issues a proc-lamation or a speech emphasiz-ing the importance of Indepen-dence Day.

It may interest readers torevisit the following selectedpresidential messages from ourfour most recent leaders, rang-ing from George W. Bush backto Ronald Reagan.

On July 1, 2005, GeorgeW. Bush issued the followingproclamation:

“Since July 4, 1776,Americans have experiencedfreedom's power to overcometyranny, inspire hope in timesof trial, and turn the creativegifts of men and women to thepursuits of peace. Across gen-erations, our Nation has de-fended and advanced liberty.”

“The words of our Found-ing Fathers first guided a coun-try of 4 million souls, yet theyput large events in motion.When the Liberty Bell soundedat the first public reading of theDeclaration of Independence,one who witnessed the birth offreedom in our country said, "Itrang as if it meant something."In our time it means somethingstill. America continues to pro-claim liberty throughout theworld, and we remain a coun-try full of hope and promisewhere opportunity thrives,where all stand equal beforethe law, and where our free-doms are celebrated.”

“Americans live in freedombecause of the enduring powerof our ideals. In the midstof World War II, PresidentFranklin Delano Roosevelt re-minded our troops that ourNation believes in the "right toliberty under God -- for allpeoples and races and groupsand nations, everywhere in theworld." Today, a new genera-tion of Americans continues todefend our Nation and spreadfreedom. On this Fourth ofJuly, we honor the brave menand women of our military, andtheir families, and we expressour gratitude for their courage,dedication to duty, and love ofcountry. “

“Laura and I send our bestwishes to all Americans on In-dependence Day. May God

bless you, and may God con-tinue to bless America.”

Bill Clinton’s final Indepen-dence Day proclamation, re-leased on July 1, 2000, was asfollows:

“I am pleased and proud tojoin my fellow Americansacross the nation and around

the world in celebratingI n d e p e n d e n c e

Day.”

“Wheno u r

Foundersset theirhands tothe Decla-ration of In-dependence in1776 and gavelife to the UnitedStates of America,they took an enor-mous leap of faith.They placed a great trustnot only in their fellowcitizens, but also in allAmericans who would fol-low in their footsteps. Thattrust has been passed fromgeneration to generation, andit has been honored by mil-lions of men and womenwhose hard work, sacrifice,generous spirit, and love ofcountry have seen us safelythrough more than two centu-ries of great challenge andchange.”

“As we come together onceagain to celebrate the birth ofour great nation, we reflect onthe remarkable achievementsthat have placed us in a posi-tion of unparalleled worldleadership. For the peace andprosperity we enjoy today, weowe a tremendous debt ofgratitude to the great patriotswho have come before us. As21st century Americans, we arenot only the beneficiaries oftheir courage and vision --- weare also the stewards of their

sacrifice.”“It is up to us to preserve

the freedom that so many braveAmericans risked their lives tosecure. It is up to us to realizeour country's highest ideals ofjustice, equality, and humandignity. It is up to us to rejectthe forces of hatred that wouldseek to divide us and insteadembrace our common human-ity and the values, history, andh e r i - tage weshare as Ameri-cans . O u r

n a t i o n ' sjourney to

form amore per-

fect union

is far f r o mover; but, strength-

ened by our Founders' visionand inspired by our children'sdreams, we are sure to reachour destination.”

“On this Independence Day,as we celebrate the past,present, and future of America,Hillary joins me in sendingbest wishes to all for a won-derful Fourth of July.”

George H. W. Bush gave aradio address to the Americanpeople on July 4, 1991. Thespeech was as follows:

“This is an extraordinary In-dependence Day, for with re-

cent events still so sharplyetched in our minds, we’verarely been more keenly awareof the utter supremacy and thefrailty of independence.”

“Our view of freedom haschanged since we last cel-ebrated Independence Day. ForAmerica, the finest, most lov-ing nation on Earth, has beenat war. Her sons and daughtersstood watch on the parcheddesert and seas of the Gulf,bearing witness by their pres-ence to the vision that com-pelled us. They added furtherluster to that vision by helpingthe victims of SaddamHussein’s aggression.”

“Throughout the long or-deal, America’s people stoodwatch at home, our yellow-rib-boned spirit telling that we be-lieved in liberty, believed inourselves. It was a scene ourcountry has known before be-

cause for 215 years Americahas been pledged to defendfor all people our forefa-thers’ creed that each per-

son has theright to

life, tol i b -erty,a n dt othepur-suit

o fhappi-

ness.”“This

Fourth of July isa day of celebration,

a red-white-and-blueday of barbecues and

fireworks, of familyre- unions and lovingtrib- utes to the mena n d women of theG u l f , of Vietnam, ofall our national ef-forts top r o m o t ef reedomand inde-pendence.But July 4, 1991,must also be somethingmore: For allAmericans, itmust be a day of reflection andrededication.”

“Together we ask God tobless us. We ask God to guide

Recent presidential Independence Day proclamationsus. And we pray that in the ex-ample of those who stoodstrong so that others may livein freedom and peace, that thisNation will renew the spirit ofbrotherhood and commitmentthat forms our national soul.”

Last but not least, the lateRonald Reagan delivered thisIndependence Day speech onJune 23, 1988:

“The Fourth of July is muchmore than a date on the calen-dar -- it is celebrated here inthe United States, and recog-nized around the world, as aturning point in history. Nomatter how many Fourths weAmericans have seen, everynew one revives in our heartsthe pure patriotism of child-hood. With each flag, with eachparade and picnic and burst offireworks, we can't help but re-call the first stirrings of ourdeep love for America.”

“This year, on our Nation's212th birthday, we recall an-other special anniversary, theBicentennial of our first Inde-pendence Day under our newlyratified Constitution. In his di-ary entry for that date, JohnQuincy Adams recorded howthe news of the latest State rati-fication was received in Bos-ton: “Immediately the bellswere set to ringing, and theguns to firing again, withoutany mercy, and continued allthe remainder of the after-noon.'' For two centuries now,the Constitution whose birththese patriots so exuberantlyhailed has endured, ensuringour liberty and preserving thisgreat Republic.”

“The passage of time hasonly brought us even more rea-son to celebrate. Our Foundersmarked the Fourth of July, un-certain that the Union would beformed; our ancestors at thetime of the Civil War markedit as well, uncertain that theUnion would survive; and ourparents and grandparentsmarked it, uncertain that itwould withstand the ravages ofglobal conflict. We can rejoice-- and be grateful to God -- thatpeace and prosperity, the hopeof every generation, reign forus on this July 4, 1988.”

“To all my fellow Ameri-cans, Happy Fourth of July!”

Happy Birthday America! . . .

. . . Happy Birthday America!

Happy Birthday, America! . . .

by J.D. ClarkOne of the most recogniz-

able symbols of our country’sfreedom is the Declaration ofIndependence.

Throughout our yearsspent in the public edu-cation system, we heartime and again how del-egates ratified the impor-tant document on July 4,1776, thus creating our Inde-pendence Day.

What many people oftenforget, however, is that Tho-mas Jefferson did not simplywrite up a brilliant docu-ment that everyoneagreed to and signed.

In fact, the dec-laration wentthrough severaldrafts, and some ofJefferson’s originalwords were removedby the Congress, includ-ing an argument against sla-very.

The document actuallywent through three phases:Jefferson’s original draft,Jefferson’s draft with revisionsby Benjamin Franklin and JohnAdams, and the final versionwith changes made by the Con-gress.

The process of writing adeclaration of independencebegan on June 11, 1776, whenJefferson, Franklin, Adams,Robert Livingston, and RogerSherman met as the Commit-tee of Five to draft a suitabledocument.

The committee appointed

Jefferson to the task of writingthe initial draft.

He presented it to Franklinand Adams, who made minor

changes, and the draft nextwent to Continental Con-gress on June 28, 1776.

While in general ses-sion, the Congress

made some of its ownchanges to the draft

and ultimatelyratified the

decla-

ration on July4, 1776.

So whatchanged as the dec-

laration changedhands? Most impor-

tantly, the Congress re-moved a section in whichJefferson criticized the slavetrade. The deleted section read,“He has waged cruel waragainst human nature itself,violating its most sacred rightsof life & liberty in the personsof a distant people who neveroffended him, captivating andcarrying them into slavery inanother hemisphere, or to in-cur miserable death in theirtransportation thither.”

Jefferson’s criticisms of theBritish people and parliamentwere also removed.

After it was approved, thedeclaration was rushed a few

blocks away to the printingshop of John Dunlap. Dunlapprinted between 150 and 200copies, which became knownas the “Dunlap broadsides.”

One copy was sent toGeorge Washington, who hadit read to his troops on July 9.

On July 19, the Congressrequested a handwritten copyso that all the delegates couldsign it. Timothy Matlack, as-sistant to the secretary of Con-gress, was assigned to the task.

The majority of the del-egates actually signed the

declaration onAugust 2, 1776,in geographic or-

der of their colo-nies from north to south.

Some delegates were notpresent and signed later, buttwo delegates never signed atall.

On January 18, 1777, theContinental Congress decidedthat the declaration should bemore widely distributed andcommissioned that Mary

Katharine Goddard make asecond printing. This versionwas the first printing to includeall the signatures.

Secretary of State JohnQuincy Adams in 1823 hiredprinter William J. Stone tomake reproductions of the dec-laration that were basicallyidentical to the original.

Stone used a wet-ink trans-fer process, which meant thathe had to moisten the surface

of the original declaration sothat some of the original inkwould transfer to a copperplate. The copper plate wasthen etched so the plate couldbe run off on a press.

Because the original 1776document was poorly con-served during the 19th century,Stone’s engraving is the mostwidely used for today’s dupli-cations.


There is always atime for laughterHere are some Fourth of Julyjokes, posted to the internet byBill Austin:

What kind of tea did theAmerican colonists thirst for?Liberty!

What do you think was Gen-eral Washington's favoritetree?The infantry!

What protestby a group ofdogs oc-curred in1773?The Bos-ton FleaParty!

What happened as a result ofthe Stamp Act?The Americans licked the Brit-ish!

How is a healthy person likethe United States?They both have good consti-tutions!

What quacks, has webbedfeet, and betrays his country?Beneduck Arnold!

What's big, cracked, and car-ries your luggage?The Liberty Bellhop!

What ghost haunted KingGeorge III?The spirit of '76!

Did you hear about the car-toonist in the ContinentalArmy?He was a Yankee doodler!

Why did Paul Revere ride hishorse from Boston to

Lexington?Because the horse

was too heavy tocarry!

What would you getif you crossed a pa-

triot with a smallcurly-haired dog?

Yankee Poodle!

Did you hear the one about theLiberty Bell?Yeah, it cracked me up!

What did one flag say to theother flag?Nothing. It just waved!

What dance was very popularin 1776?Indepen-dance!

What march would you play ata jungle parade?"Tarzan Stripes Forever"!

Why is the Liberty Bell like adropped Easter egg?Because they're both cracked!

What was the craziest battle ofthe Revolutionary War?The Battle of Bonkers Hill.


In these changing times of economic uncertainty and government in-

tervention, we at The Community Bank are proud to be an independentand locally-owned bank.

With independence comes freedom and opportunity We’re thankful forthe freedom to be part of this great country and, in particular, this com-munity and for the opportunity to serve you.

Being an independent bank, we feel our customers are entitled to cer-tain inalienable banking rights.

Here are a few of the many we pledge to you:

1. The right to free personal checking.2. The right to free commercial checking.3. The right to bank anywhere, anytime with The CommunityBank’s Internet and voice response telephone banking systems.4. The right to continuous lobby service Monday-Thursday 9-4;Friday 9-6.5. The right to know and call your bankers by their first names.6. The right to feel welcome and comfortable when you enter TheBank.7. The right to excellent service from a friendly, sincere and knowl-edgable staff.8. The right to low-cost bank services.9. The right to earn and borrow at fair and competitive rates ofinterest.10. The right to know that your bank can say with the utmostsincerity that it is progressive, independent, and has your best inter-est at heart.

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Madison: The LastFounding Fatherby staff

James Madison, one of themost important players in earlyAmerican government, is alsoon of the least-known.

Madison was born onMarch 16, 1751 and lived un-til June 28, 1836.

Madison was the fifth Sec-retary of State for the UnitedStates. He held that positionfrom May 2, 1801 to March 3,1809. He was then elected tobe the fourth President of theUnited States. He served twoterms in office.

While in the House of Rep-resentatives, he worked withGeorge Washington to orga-nize the new federal govern-ment.

In opposition of the Feder-alists, Madison and ThomasJefferson organized the Demo-cratic-Republican Party, alsoknown as the Jeffersonians.

As Secretary of State,Madison supervised the Loui-siana Purchase and sponsoredthe Embargo Act of 1807.

While in office, Madisonled the U.S. into the War of1812 against Great Britain.

He also suffered the loss oftwo vice presidents and fin-ished the last three years of hispresidency without one.

In 1917, Madison retiredfrom office to his home in Vir-ginia. His health was verypoor, and he was becomingmentally unstable.

He spent the last years of his

life worrying about his legacyand took to changing informa-tion in letters and documents.

At the age of seventy-eightMadison was chosen to appearat the Convention of 1829.Many say that this eventpushed him into delusion anddespair.

Many counties, towns, cit-ies and schools were namedafter James Madison, includingJames Madison University,James Madison Institution, andthe Madison River.

His face can be found on thefive-thousand dollar bill.

Madison died at his homein Virginia on June 28, 1836.

Madison was the last found-ing father to die and is consid-ered to be the “Father of theConstitution.”

The White House: America’s Castleby staff

On October 13, 1792, con-struction of the White Housebegan. It was intended to bethe official residence and Ex-ecutive Office of the Presidentof the United States.

James Hoban was selectedas the architect of the WhiteHouse over nine other archi-tects, including ThomasJefferson. Although his designwas chosen, Washington choseto enlarge the house by thirtypercent and add a large recep-tion hall.

The mansion, made of

white-painted Aquia sand-stone, was built at 1600 Penn-sylvania Avenue in the newlyestablished federal city, Wash-ington, D.C.

It was finished just in timefor the 1800 election, in whichJohn Adams was chosen to bethe second U.S. President.Each president since Adamshas lived in the White House.

It has been expanded manytimes, beginning in 1801. Inorder to conceal storage, Tho-mas Jefferson and an architectfriend, Benjamin HenryLatrobe, expanded the building

creating two colonnades.The mansion was set on fire

by the British Army in 1814during the War of 1812. Theinterior was destroyed and theexterior walls were charred.

Reconstruction on theWhite House was completedenough for President JamesMonroe to move in by 1817.

By the end of the 1800s, theSouth and North Portico hadbeen added to the mansion.

In 1901, TheodoreRoosevelt moved most workoffices to the newly built WestWing due to over-crowdingand before the end of the de-cade, William Howard Taftoversaw the building of thefirst Oval Office.

By 1946, the third-floor at-tic had been converted into liv-ing quarters, and the East Wingwas built to allow more officespace.

In 1948 the house’s exteriorwalls and internal wood beamswere found to be failing. Un-der the watch of Harry Truman,interior rooms were dis-mantled, a new steel frame-work was constructed, and theinterior rooms were reas-sembled.

Today, the White House ismade up of six stories includ-ing the Ground Floor, StateFloor, Second Floor, ThirdFloor, and a two story base-ment.

The White House is ownedby the National Park Service.In 2007, the White House wasranked second on the Ameri-can Institute of Architect’s“List of America’s FavoriteArchitecture.”

1. 150 million—that’s the number of hot dogs the NationalHot Dog and Sausage Council estimates will be consumedby Americans on the Fourth of July.

2. In July 1776, there were an estimated 2.5 million indi-viduals living in the colonies. Now, 230 years later, the es-timated total American population is at nearly 296.5 mil-lion.

3. In 1870, Independence Day became an unpaid holidayfor federal employees The United States Congress changedthe date to a paid holiday in 1941.

4. The United States national anthem “The Star-SpangledBanner” is set to the tune of an old English drinking song,“To Anacreon in Heaven.”

5. Congress did not adopt Uncle Sam as a national symboluntil 1961, even though he was used to support the war timesas early as 1812.

6. The U.S. flag should be displayed only from sunrise tosunset unless the flag is illuminated.

7. When the American flag is displayed on the same flag-pole as another flag, like a state, city or community flag, theAmerican flag must always be on top.

8. The world’s first firecracker was made by roasting bam-boo to produce the loud popping sounds to frighten awayevil spirits in ancient China during the Han Dynasty (206B.C. - A.D. 220).

9. For the fourth of July in 1778, General George Washing-ton celebrated the new holiday by giving his soldiers a doubleration of rum for the day and an artillery salute.

10. John Hancock was the first person to sign the Declara-tion of Independence and his signature is larger and in thecenter of page because he was president of the Congress atthe time. All the other members signed by state delegationacross five columns ranging from the northernmost state tothe southernmost.

11. The Continental Congress voted for independence onJuly 2, 1776, and adopted the Declaration of Independencetwo days later on the Fourth of July.

12. There is one place in the entire United States named“patriot” and that is Patriot, Indiana, with a population of196.

13. In 1781, Massachusetts was the first legislature to rec-ognize Independence Day.

14. In 1779, July 4 fell on a Sunday, so the holiday wascelebrated on Monday, July 5.(Information compiled from various online resources.)

FUNFOURTHFACTS


continued from page 2all in celebration of indepen-dence nobody took note at thetime. The bell was not evennamed in honor of Americanindependence. It received themoniker in the early nineteenthcentury when abolitionistsused it as a symbol of the anti-slavery movement.

If you visit the Liberty Bellin Philadelphia, encased in amulti-million dollar shrine(soon to be replaced by an evengrander building), a tape re-cording made by the NationalPark Service leaves the impres-sion that the bell indeed playeda role in American indepen-dence. (We last heard the re-cording three years ago. Weassume it's still being played.)The guides are more forthcom-ing, though they do not ex-pressly repudiate the old tradi-tion unless directly asked aquestion about it. On the daywe visited the guide sounded abit defensive, telling our littlegroup it didn't really matter ifthe bell rang in American in-dependence or not. Millionshave come to visit, she noted,allowing the bell to symbolizeliberty for many differentcauses. In other words, it is ourpresence at the bell that givesthe shrine its meaning. It isimportant because we think it'simportant. It's the NationalPark Service's version of exis-tentialism.

As for the famous crack …it was a badly designed bell andit cracked. End of story.

#4 BETSY ROSS SEWEDTHE FIRST FLAG.

A few blocks away from theLiberty Bell is the Betsy RossHouse. There is no proof Betsylived here, as the Joint StateGovernment Commission ofPennsylvania concluded in astudy in 1949. Oh well. Everyyear the throngs still come togawk. As you make your wayto the second floor through adark stairwell the feeling ofverisimilitude is overwhelm-ing. History is everywhere.And then you come upon thefamous scene. Behind a wall ofPlexiglas, as if to protect thesacred from contamination, a

Top 5 Myths About the Fourth of July!Betsy Ross manikin sits in achair carefully sewing the firstflag. Yes, ladies and gentle-men, this is where Betsy sewedthat first famous symbol of ourfreedom, the bars and stripes,Old Glory itself.

Alas, the story is no moreauthentic than the house itself.It was made up in the nine-teenth century by Betsy's de-scendants.

The guide for our groupnever let on that the story wasbogus, however. Indeed, sheprovided so many details thatwe became convinced she re-ally believed it. She told ushow General George Washing-ton himself asked Betsy tostitch the first flag. He wantedsix point stars; Betsy told himthat five point stars were easierto cut and stitch. The generalrelented.

After the tour was over weapproached the guide for an in-terview. She promptly re-moved her Betsy Ross hat,turned to us and admitted thestory is all just a lot of phooey.Oh, but it is a good story, sheinsisted, and one worth telling.

Poor Betsy. In her day shewas just a simple unheraldedseamstress. Now the celebra-

tors won't leave her alone. Afew years ago they even dugup her bones where they hadlain in a colonial graveyard for150 years, so she could be bur-ied again beneath a huge sar-cophagus located on thegrounds of the house she wasnever fortunate enough to havelived in.

So who sewed the first flag?No one knows. But we doknow who designed it. It wasFrances Hopkinson. Recordsshow that in May 1780 he senta bill to the Board of Admiraltyfor designing the "flag of theUnited States." A small groupof descendants works hard tokeep his name alive. Just downthe street from Betsy's houseone of these descendants, thecaretaker for the local cem-etery where Benjamin Franklin

is buried, entertains schoolchildren with stories aboutHopkinson, a signer of theDeclaration, who is also cred-ited with designing the seal ofthe United States. We askedhim what he made of the fan-tasies spun at the Betsy Rosshouse. He confided he did notwant to make any disparagingremarks as he was a paid em-ployee of the city of Philadel-phia, which now owns thehouse.

The city seems to be of theopinion that the truth doesn'tmatter. Down the street fromthe cemetery is a small plaqueposted on a brick building giv-ing Hopkinson the credit herightly deserves.

As long as the touristscome.

#5 JOHN ADAMS ANDTHOMAS JEFFERSON DIEDON THE FOURTH OF JULY.

Ok, this is true. On July 4,1826, Adams and Jeffersonboth died, exactly fifty yearsafter the adoption of Jefferson'sDeclaration of Independence,which the country took as asign of American divinity. Butthere is no proof that Adams,dying, uttered, "Jefferson sur-vives," which was said to beespecially poignant, asJefferson had died just hoursbefore. Mark that up as justanother hoary story we wishedso hard were true we con-vinced ourselves it is.

Have a Happy Fourth!By History News Network Staff

Little tot crafts: substitute for fireworksSometimes it is difficult for

small toddlers to take part inthe 4th of July celebration, be-yond watermelon and spar-klers.

There are a few things tohelp them seem more involvedwith the 4th festivities. Craftscan often substitute fireworkswhen your little one is tooyoung to actually participate inthe popping of firecrackers orshooting off Roman Candles inthe dark.

One such craft would be the“Star Studded Door Hanger.”Let the little ones show patri-otic spirit by helpng them makea welcome hanger for yourdoor.

What you need:• 2 miniature paper plates• Star-spangled foam stamp• Red Acrylic paint• Red and blue glitter glue• Gold alphabet stickers• Patriotic star garland• White craft glue• White yarn• Scissors

How to make it: 1. Cut a piece of yarn to

14” in length 2. Cut patriotic garland into

six 16” pieces 3. Glue two paper plates to-

gether so they are both facingtoward each other

4. While glue is still wet,place yarn into the top betweenthe two plates. Insert about aninch of each end between theplates. Do the same with thegarland lengths , securing thembetween the bottom of the pa-per plates. Let dry completely.

5. Paint star shaped foamstamp with a thin layer of redpaint. Press carefully butfirmly into the center of theplate (don’t smash the plate)and lift straight up to remove.

6. Use a paintbrush to fillin any spots on the star thatmay not have transferred fromthe stamp.

7. Squeeze some red glitterglue onto the center of the redstar and spread out using asmall paintbrush, covering en-tire star.

8. Use white glitter glue to

draw a border around the star9. Use blue glitter glue to

draw a border around the plateedge. Let dry completely. 10. Apply alphabet stickersat the top of the plate, spellingout “welcome.”

11. Wrap the garlandaround your fingers in a cork-screw fashion to create curls.Stretch them out and manipu-late with your hand to get themhow you want them.

12. Hang on your door!

Tips:• Check your local craft

supply, discount departmentand party supply stores for pa-triotic garland.

• Set project somewheresafe and out of place to dry.Avoid areas where pet cats mayjump up to investigate.

• Styrofoam plates or evenbowls may be used in place ofpaper plates.

Did youknow...-”We the people,”the first threewords of the Pre-amble, is one of themost quoted andreferenced sectionsof the Constitution.

-The Constitutionreplaced the Ar-ticles of Confedera-tion.

-The United StatesConstitution is thesupreme law of theUnited States ofAmerica.


Presidential myths: fact or fiction?Numerous myths and ru-

mors circulate about Americanpresidents. Learn the truth be-hind some of the most famousstories.•The teddy bear was namedafter Theodore Roosevelt.

True.The teddy bear was inspired

by a political cartoon of then-President Theodore “Teddy”Roosevelt sparing a bear’s lifeduring a hunting trip.

The bear became the mas-cot for Roosevelt’s reelectioncampaign, and sales surged. Atoymaker asked Roosevelt forpermission to name the bearafter him, and a toy legend wasborn.•As a boy, George Washing-ton chopped down a cherrytree and then confessed thetruth to his father.

False.This famous myth was cre-

ated by one of the first biogra-phers of Washington, MasonLocke Weems. Weems wasworking on a book aboutWashington shortly after thepresident’s death, and sincemany details were not knownabout his early life, Weemssought to fill in the blanks him-self.•George Washington had aset of false teeth made ofwood.

False.Washington actually had

several sets of dentures, butnone were made of wood. Oneset was made of gold and hip-popotamus ivory and is now ondisplay in the National Mu-seum of Dentistry in Balti-more.•President Zachary Taylordied after eating cherries andmilk.

True.Taylor became ill in 1850

after eating cherries and milkduring a hot Fourth of July cel-ebration in Washington, D.C.The 12th president died on July9.

It is believed that some ofthe food was contaminated bycholera, typhoid, or anothertype of bacteria.•President William Howard

Taft was so large that he hada specially-made bathtub in-stalled to accommodate hissize.

True.The 6’2” Taft weighed over

300 pounds and could not fitin a standard tub. When a cus-tomized one was installed, fourfull-grown men (fully clothed)were able to pose inside it.•At a March 2002 presiden-tial gala, George W. Bushwaved excitedly to the blindsinger Stevie Wonder.

False.The Washington Post re-

ported this story, but no onesitting near the president re-membered the incident, and thevideotape of the banquet sim-ply showed Bush smiling andraising his open hand to some-one.•Abraham Lincoln wrote theGettysburg Address on theback of an envelope duringthe train ride from Washing-ton, D.C., to Gettysburg.

False.Lincoln was known for

working on his speeches care-fully, and it is reported that theGettysburg Address was nodifferent.

Lincoln certainly made re-visions to the text after arriv-ing in Gettysburg, but the trainride would have been toobumpy for any writing.•Thousands of German citi-zens laughed at John F.Kennedy during a 1963speech at the Berlin Wallwhen he said, “Ich sin einBerliner,” which translates to“I am a jelly doughnut.”

False.A professional interpreter

translated “I am a Berliner” to“Ich sin ein Berliner” so thatKennedy could express hislove for the people of the city.However, Berliner is also aword that can refer to a type ofpastry, so a rumor quickly cir-culated that this is whatKennedy had said.•President Gerald Ford onceworked as a fashion model.

True.Ford appeared as a model

alongside a girlfriend in Cos-

mopolitan and Look magazinesin the early 1940s. In 1948, hemarried Betty Bloomer War-ren, who had also worked as afashion model.•Harry Truman’s middle

name was simply the letter“S.”

True.Truman’s parents named

him Harry after a maternaluncle. The letter “S” was cho-

sen as the middle initial be-cause both grandfathers had aname starting with the letter.

Information gathered fromwww.encarta.msn.com.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!


by StaffMost Americans know what

the Constitution is, but howmany of us remember what itsays? This article is designedto a be a quick refresher onwhat is considered to be one ofhistory’s most important docu-ments.

Some highlights of theUnited States Constitution in-clude the preamble, articlescreating the three branches ofgovernment, and the Bill ofRights.

While the preamble of theconstitution does not conferany power, the first sevenwords describe to whom thepower of the government reallybelongs.

“We the People ofthe United States, in

Order to form a moreperfect Union, establish Jus-tice, insure domestic Tranquil-ity, provide for the commondefence, promote the generalWelfare, and secure the Bless-ings of Liberty to ourselves andour Posterity, do ordain andestablish this Constitution forthe United States of America,”states the Preamble.

The first three articles set upthe separation of powers byestablishing the three branchesof government. Congress, theExecutive Branch and the Ju-diciary are the three branchesof government that were estab-lished all those years ago sothere would be a check system,keeping each department fromoverstepping boundaries.

The fourth article providesfor admission of additionalstates and guarantees that eachstate may have a republicanform of government. The fiftharticle allows for amendmentsto the constitution.

Many of the 26 amend-

United States Constitutional Highlightsments were brought into effectby Supreme Court decisions,but the first ten were instatedwithin two years of the sign-ing of the federal Constitution,and are called the Bill ofRights.

The First Amendment guar-antees freedom: freedom ofworship, speech, the press, as-sembly, and of petition to thegovernment for redressing ofgrievances. The SecondAmendment allows citizens toopenly bear arms.

The Third Amendment al-lows citizens freedom fromquartering soldiers in a housewithout the owner’s consent,and the Fourth Amendment

protects individuals fromunreasonable search andseizure.

The Fifth Amendmentstates no person shall

be held for a“capital or oth-

erwise infa-m o u s

c r i m e ”w i t h o u tproper in-dictment,f a c ed o u b l ejeopardy

for the sameoffense, testify against himself,or “be deprived of life, liberty,or property without due pro-cess of law.”

The right of a speedy andpublic trial by an impartial juryin criminal proceedings isguaranteed by the SixthAmendment, and the SeventhAmendment states individualshave the right of trial by juryin almost all common-lawsuits.

The Eighth Amendmentdisallows excessive bail, finesand “cruel and unusual” pun-ishment, and the Ninth Amend-ment states “The enumerationin the Constitution of certainrights shall not be construed todeny or disparage others re-tained by the people.”

“The powers not delegatedto the United States by theConstitution, nor prohibited byit to the States, are reserved tothe States respectively, or to thepeople,” states the TenthAmendment.

Other noteworthy Amend-

ments are the Thirteenth, Four-teenth and Fifteenth Amend-ments, which abolished sla-very, guaranteed civil rightsand suffrage to citizens, includ-ing former slaves.

Income tax was authorizedby the Sixteenth Amendment,

and the Eighteenth Amend-ment established prohibition.Prohibition was then repealedby the Twenty-first Amend-ment.

Woman suffrage wasgranted by the Nineteenth

Amendment, and poll taxesand other taxes that were vot-ing requirements were abol-ished by the Twenty-fourthAmendment. The Twenty-sixth Amendment lowered thevoting age to 18 years old.

Happy Birthday America! . . .

top 5 myths about the fourth of july! - chico texan 4th 2009 special section...page 2. . . happy...

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