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The July 4th Myth [1]
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Date: 2025-07-04
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Each colony had one vote—twelve voted in favor, and New York abstained because its delegates had not yet received instructions from their provincial assembly. New York formally endorsed independence on July 9. Although the actual vote for independence occurred on July 2, the document was dated July 4 in advance. Fifty-six men, delegates to the Congress, signed the document by August 9. July 4—rather than the vote—became the symbolic birthday of the nation. John Adams believed July 2 should be remembered as Independence Day. He wrote to his wife Abigail: “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.” Over time, that celebration took root—not on the 2nd, but on the 4th of July.
As a side note, public opinion for the War of Independence. While there are only approximations, it is believed that pro-independence patriots comprised approximately 45% of the colonists who favored the war, while pro-British loyalists made up around 20%. The remaining 35% were apathetic, cautious, or feared the coming conflict.
It wasn’t until 1870, during Reconstruction and after the Civil War, that Congress made July 4 a federal holiday, along with New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. This move was designed to help unify a fractured nation by anchoring it in shared patriotic symbols. In doing so, July 4 became not only a national celebration but the cornerstone of America’s founding myth—a narrative of liberty, equality, and justice. Yet, these ideals were never fully realized. Many of the Declaration’s most iconic assertions were written in contradiction to the social and political realities of the time. Examining five of these assertions reveals the deep divide between America’s founding promises and its persistent exclusions.
1 “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
This line sounds noble and timeless—until examined in historical context. In 1776, “all men” referred only to white, property-owning males. Enslaved people, Indigenous nations, women, and countless others were excluded. Even today, while legal rights have broadened, the franchise remains incomplete. Studies suggest that as much as 60–65% of the U.S. population still experiences some form of systemic disenfranchisement due to race, gender, disability, poverty, immigration status, or other structural barriers. (See the postscript for those who are included in that number.) The result is that this “truth” was narrow and hollow from the start, and remains an unfulfilled promise. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13, without love or justice, truth is merely “a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal”—noise without meaning.
2. “That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This phrase proclaims universal entitlement to freedom and fulfillment. But for generations, these “unalienable rights” were denied to millions through slavery, colonialism, segregation, forced displacement, and wage exploitation. The oppression was systemic, generational, and often state-sanctioned. Even today, happiness is stratified by class, race, and access. Who gets to achieve happiness in America, and who is left chasing it?
3 “To secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Paraphrased later by Lincoln as “government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” this phrase is the cornerstone of America’s democratic myth. However, in 1776, only white male property owners had the right to vote. Today, while suffrage has expanded, political power remains concentrated in the hands of wealthy elites, lobbyists, and corporations. Many Americans see little difference between candidates or parties, contributing to voter apathy and disengagement. The government may still claim legitimacy from “the governed,” but in practice, it often rules without meaningful consent.
4 “Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.”
This assertion glorifies the American Revolution as a model of justified rebellion. But historically, the U.S. has violently suppressed uprisings when led by the enslaved, Indigenous peoples, laborers, or civil rights activists. The state celebrates its founding rebellion while criminalizing others who challenge the status quo. The right to alter or abolish unjust systems remains more theoretical than real, available only to some, and dangerous to others.
5 “A decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
This phrase frames the Revolution as morally transparent and internationally accountable. It implies that America stands for reason, justice, and principled action. Yet, the U.S. has repeatedly acted in contradiction to those ideals, both at home and abroad, through slavery, imperialism, wars of aggression, regime changes, and covert operations. The gap between how America sees itself and how it behaves is vast, and often concealed beneath this high-minded rhetoric.
Together, these five statements form the liturgy of America’s civic religion—a belief system enshrined in textbooks, speeches, monuments, and ceremonies. They define what the U.S. claims to be, even as history and reality show otherwise. Every July 4th, these myths are rehearsed, ritualized, and reinforced, becoming part of a larger process of hypernormalization: the performance of belief in a system whose contradictions are obvious, but whose ideals we are not supposed to question. We celebrate them as if they were true, even though the truth remains unfulfilled. Understanding this gap is not unpatriotic—it is the first step toward building a more honest and inclusive future.
PS: The following describes those whom the promises of the Declaration of Independence have excluded.
*Black Americans – enslaved, disenfranchised, and systematically oppressed across every institution.
*Indigenous peoples – displaced, massacred, and erased from land, law, and historical memory.
*Women – denied civil, legal, and economic rights and excluded from public power.
*Latinx communities – exploited for labor, subjected to discrimination, and culturally erased.
*LGBTQIA+ people – criminalized, policed, and erased from laws, schools, and public life.
*Disabled people – institutionalized, excluded, and denied access, rights, and representation.
*Poor people – blamed, exploited, and excluded from systems of security and opportunity.
*Asian Americans – targeted by exclusion laws, internment, and recurring racial violence.
*Indian Americans – denied citizenship, racialized as non-white, and profiled post-9/11.
*Immigrants – scapegoated, marginalized, and denied full rights, safety, and belonging.
*Undocumented people – excluded from legal protections, while essential to U.S. labor.
*Muslim Americans – surveilled, profiled, and vilified during and after the War on Terror.
*Refugees/asylum seekers – criminalized or abandoned despite fleeing extreme violence.
*Formerly incarcerated – stripped of rights and denied reentry, dignity, and opportunity.
*Children and youth – especially in foster care or detention, are often denied basic protections.
Day 166: days left to January 20, 2029: 1,296 days
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