OPINION: What makes July 4th so important?

On July 4, 1776 delegates from 13 British colonies were meeting in Philadelphia to decide about the region’s future. They called themselves “The Continental Congress” and their purpose was to address the perceived abuses of the colonies by King George III in London. They finally came to the conclusion that the only way to end the abuses was to end their relationship with England.

So they drew up a series of complaints and assigned Thomas Jefferson to write out the formal Declaration of Independence. This document was approved on July 4, 1776, and delegates signed it over the next several days.

So, how much do you know about the declaration and its effect on Georgia?

Three Georgia delegates signed the document, committing Georgia to the revolutionary war that followed. They were Lyman Hall, Button Gwinnett and George Walton. All three have a county in North East Georgia named for them.

The first and largest signature on the Declaration was that of John Hancock. Who was serving as President of the Continental Congress when it was ratified. He wanted to make sure that King George could read his name. The Congress also voted to raise an army to defend the colonies and named George Washington as the commanding general.

As the last and lowest population of the 13 original colonies, Georgia was concerned about attacks from the Spanish in the south and the Indians in the west. Many in the colony felt that protection by British forces was vital to their protection. Thus, they did not take part in the First Continental congress, but as relations with the king worsened, they finally sent a delegation to the second congress.

Georgia militia members were active in the war of Independence, helping drive the British out of Augusta, and eventually retaking Savannah. After the fighting in the North reached a stalemate, Southern forces, including those from Georgia, harassed the British forcing them to move some of their army south leading to the final battle at Yorktown in August of 1781.

Georgia’s contributions to the American Revolution helped create the greatest nation on earth. It is appropriate that our state take an active part in celebrations of July 4th each year. The American tradition of “liberty and justice for all” was the prize for which we and the other twelve colonies fought.

I hope to see you at the Independence Day celebration in Colbert Saturday, July 2. I will be giving away copies of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution again this year. Come by the Sons of Confederate veterans booth for your free copy.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Frank Gillispie is founder of The Madison County Journal. His e-mail address is frank@frankgillispie.com. His website can be accessed at http://www.frankgillispie.com/gillispieonline.