In the stirring book, "1776" by David McCullough, twice Pulitzer winner, 2005,
he tells us the intensely human story of those who marched with general George Washington
in the year of the Declaration of Independence - when the whole American cause was riding on their success,
without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration
would have amounted to little more than words in paper( 한국의 삼일운동 독립선언문의 신세같이).

It is the story of Americans in the ranks, men of every shape, size, and color, farmers, school teachers,
shoemakers, no-accounts, and mere boys turned soldiers. ....
Washington had never before led an army in battle. ....
King George III went before Parliament to declare America in rebellion and to affirm his resolve
to crush it. .....
The British commander, William Howe, and his highly disciplined redcoats who looked on their rebel
foes with great contempt and fought with a valor too little known. ....

As the crucial weeks pass, defeat follows defeat, and in the long retreat across New Jersey,
all hopes seems gone, until Washington launches the brilliant stroke that will change history.

The darkest hours of that tumultuous year were as dark as any Americans have known.
Especially in our own tumultuous time, this book, "1776," is powerful testimony to how much
is owed to a rare few in that brave founding epoch, and what a miracle it was that
things turned out as they did.

from the book, "1776" by David McCullough, Smon and Schuster, 2005

Another book, I enjoyed reading and helped me know George Washington much better is

"His Excellency, George Washington," by Joseph J. Ellis, Alfred A. Knopf, 2004

I'd recommend these two books to anyone who are interested in the beginning of USA.

I Hear America Singing

     by Walt Whitman

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,  .....
..... The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work,
or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day - ....
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.

This day “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,” said John Adams to wife, Abigail, in July 1776.

Most Americans are familiar with the celebrations John Adams describes in his letter to his wife, but most do not realize that Adams envisioned July 2, 1776, as the day Americans would mark independence from Great Britain.  Why?  Because on that date, the Continental Congress met inside Independence Hall and resolved that “these United Colonies… are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

Of course, we all know that Americans now celebrate July 4^th, the day the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence. Many Americans might also be surprised to learn that the famous signed parchment copy of the Declaration wasn’t signed by most of the founders until August 2, 1776.

July 8, 1776 also plays a special role in our history.  On that day, Colonel John Nixon of Philadelphia read a printed Declaration of Independence to the public for the first time on what is now called Independence Square.

Independence National Historical Park is fortunate to have one of these first printed copies on display in the Great Essentials Exhibit, which also houses rare printings of the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution.  We commemorate July 8 each year with a re-enactment of Col. Nixon’s reading.  I invite you all to join us this year on July 8 at 11:30 am (for a noon reading) on Independence Square.  Listen to what the crowd says and chose your own loyalty!

Independence National Historical Park hosts millions of visitors every year who have come to reflect on what freedom means to them.  Sites like the Liberty Bell Center, Independence Hall and the President’s House Site offer authentic places for learning and patriotic feelings. Our nation wasn’t born perfect.  The words of the declaration – “that all men are created equal” – didn’t apply to many citizens of 18^th and 19^th century America. In fact, the push for equality extended through the 20^th century and continues today.  The former enslaved African-American and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, said in a speech in 1852, “What to the American slave is your Fourth of July?”

On this Independence Day, as the United States of America celebrates its 236^th birthday, let us all reflect on why we celebrate the Fourth of July and continue to work for liberty and justice for all.

Cynthia MacLeod is the Superintendent of Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.

Editor’s note: This story first ran on July 4, 2011.

It was raining in the morning when I headed toward the golf course.
And highway was empty. So was golf course. But summer heat
was muderous at 103 F on July 4th. Drank plenty of water and hurried
home to avoid traffic jam by the people who'll watch Fireworks on the
East River.

It is now 8:30 PM and in half an hour, we'll be able to see.
Or might be better to watch on TV - too hot to go out to
the riverside to see the show.

We celebrate July 4th, year in, year out here in USA.
But what about 8 15 by Koreans in Korea or in USA?
- the day ROK declared as a soverign nation in 1948
led by President Rhee Syng-man.

Today I pledged to join as a member of the "Friends of Rhee Syng-man Forum"
- to help them a little financially paying membership due.