The Spirit of '76 Lives On With Citizens of the American Colonies: Visiting Historical Villages on Independence Day

~The spirits of '76~ 

"Where liberty dwells, there is my country."

Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Benjamin Vaughn, 

March 14, 1783

Picture taken by Charlotte Bauer

There is something to be said about reenacting the colonial past...especially on the 4th of July - Independence Day.
Yes, even during the political turmoil of our modern day, I am patriotic and believe in our great nation. And I love what this holiday stands for, with all the pomp and circumstance that goes with it, including the fireworks, the red, white, and blue everywhere I look, the American flags flying in front of houses...yes, I love it all.
And the history...obviously, the history.
One thing that doing living history has taught me over the years is to learn to appreciate just what it is we are celebrating in this country during our patriotic holidays. This happened with me for Memorial Day as well as for Independence Day. Now, please understand, I'm not, by any means, knocking the way people (including myself!) may celebrate, whether it's heading to the beach, camping, being with family and friends for a barbecue, sit by the bonfires at night, and - particularly on the 4th of July - enjoy the exorbitant amount of fireworks that surround us.
This has always been great fun for me, and still is - - -
But now there is an additional reverence I pay, and I hope this posting will convey that.
As reenactors, we certainly live interesting lives, don't we? We can experience times past in ways most folks can't even imagine. It's almost like we've jumped into our history books. Some people think we are totally off our rocker because of our hobby!
I suppose, in a way, we are.
Bonkers, that is.
But then, all the best people are! (Yes, I swiped that from the Alice in Wonderland movie).
Seriously - who else would dress the way we do on steamy hot summer days, right?

Beginning our Independence Day celebrations at Greenfield Village...
Picture taken by Betsy Cushman

It was only a couple years ago that I began a brand-spanking-new reenacting group I called Citizens of the American Colonies. With very few exceptions, this is a group mainly made up of Civil War reenactors who want to add to their living history adventures by spending time in the 18th century. But most of all, as you shall see herein, the members of Citizens of the American Colonies are adventurous and willing to 'take it' to the next level.

When I am out there, in time, I learn that every great day has a story to tell...
Picture taken by Kestrel Bird

I have found one of the best days to enjoy the time-travel experience is on July 4th. You see, Independence Day has become my second favorite holiday; only Christmas garners more anticipation from me. And the more I continue to study our Founding Fathers, the birth of our Nation, and the times they lived in, the more excited I become.
It is the way I now spend this great American Holiday here in the 21st century that has greatly changed from my own past; for nine years now I have spent the glorious fourth by donning appropriate period attire to help me observe and enhance this most patriotic of days while visiting the local historic open-air museums of Greenfield and Mill Race Villages. More often than not, a few living historian friends will join me in this time-travel venture, which heightens all of our patriotic experiences.
So it was off to Greenfield Village early in the morning of July 4. When dressed in 1770s fashions we will spend most of our time in the colonial area of the complex, and today was no different, though on our way to that point we made a quick stop at the Edison Cottage, built by the grandparents of the Thomas Edison. The home is now set up as it may have looked in 1915, very "modern" in comparison to most of the other structures inside Greenfield Village.

Colonials standing in front of a white picket fence near a covered bridge, a weeping willow at hand...Americana 

Fear not: as living historians of the colonial era, we know not to enter a house out of our time, lest anyone think that we do.
After a few quick sketches in the Edison yard, we continued on to the few houses that have been relocated to Greenfield Village that are very acceptable to the way we were dressed, especially the former home of Samuel & Anna Daggett. Now, if you are a regular reader of Passion for the Past and follow my time-travel adventures regularly, you know that I am a frequent visitor of the Daggett homestead, originally built around 1750 in Coventry (now Andover) Connecticut. And it is now considered one of the main points of interest inside this open-air museum, for the presenters here help to bring the period of the Daggetts to life through household chores, crafts, open-hearth cooking, and various other activities, all the while wearing clothing of the later 18th century.
We fit right in:

The break-back style Daggett home (more commonly referred to now as 'saltbox') was very popular architecturally during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In fact, John Adams, 2nd President, was born in a break-back home in Massachusetts, so it seemed fitting for us, on this Independence Day, to enter a house similar in style.

Were they expecting us...?

"Samuel." 
"Yes, Anna?"
"We have visitors."
From the inside looking out - - picture taken by Kestrel Bird

An interesting fact about Samuel Daggett that I learned while doing research is that he paid for someone named Jacob Fox to take his son Isaiah's place in military duty so that his young 17-year-old offspring could stay home and tend the farm. Coventry sent 116 men to Lexington at the start of the war. The community also sent clothing and supplies to aid the war effort.
Oh! If these walls could talk!

Knowing of the involvement of the Daggetts and the Revolutionary War added greatly to our Independence Day celebration.
The four of us were greeted warmly as we entered the 'great hall.'

The room known as the great hall would not be too far removed from our modern-day living room. Whereas the formal parlor (or 'best' room) was reserved for the closest of friends or maybe a special guest such as the minister, the great hall would have been the room where family and friends of all kinds would congregate for visits, where crafts and tasks such as quilting, spinning and weaving would occur, and, yes, even eating a meal could take place.

Something I never tire of is being inside an 18th century home while wearing clothing of the same period. It just works, you know?

As it was a rather hot and humid day, we soon ventured out to the back garden where we received a lesson in the differing types of plants - all of the heirloom variety - that were planted.

The door off the back kitchen...

Along with the more common vegetables and herbs known in our modern times, this garden is filled with such a variety of heirloom plants as such one never sees or hears about unless in a historic situation. 

Besides the varieties of squash, beans, lettuce, asparagus, and other vegetables used to help sustain the family, Anna Daggett would have also grown plants for medical purposes as well, including wormwood, which was a purgative for stomach issues or worms, tansy was used to stop bleeding and bruising, and chamomile, which was used, same as it is today, to make a calming tea.

I never cease to learn something with each visit to the Daggett Farm. But time waits for no man (or woman), so we had to take our leave. There was one more place to visit here before heading to another historic village.

Good day to you. We must take our leave now.

If it weren't for the modern-style brick wall, this would be an almost perfect colonial picture, for we see, on the left, an exact replication of Independence Hall. Next we see the Farris Windmill (built in 1633 in Cape Cod) which, we are told, is the oldest windmill in the United States. The gray building on the right is the Daggett House, and the red building in the distance is our next stop - - 

The Plympton House has such a wonderfully patriotic history, and what better day to remember this than on Independence Day?

'Twas between 4 and 5 o'clock in the morning of April 19, 1775, that an express came from Concord to Thomas Plympton Esq., who was then a member of the Provincial Congress, and was told that the British Regular Army were on their way to Concord. The sexton was immediately called on the bell ringing and the discharge of Musket, which was to give the alarm. By sunrise the greatest part of the inhabitants were notified. The morning was remarkably fine and the inhabitants of Sudbury never can make such an important appearance probably again.

"Pardon me, but Master Plympton is not here. If you are looking to join the militia, young man, 'twill be best for you to head to town where the other boys are preparing to go into Concord."

Thomas Plympton also had a Revolutionary War son, Ebenezer Plympton. Ebenezer is listed on the muster role as a private in Captain Aaron Haynes' Company of Militia (North Militia 1775) which was part of an Alarm Company that marched to Cambridge by Concord during the Lexington Alarm on the nineteenth of April, 1775. He was also part of Captain Asahel Wheeler's company in 1777.
In other words, this Plympton House sitting inside Greenfield Village has direct connections to not only the Revolutionary War itself, but to the very beginnings of it: the Battle of Lexington & Concord!
Oh the history one can find by digging a little deeper than a simple placard sign...

By the way, the information about the Daggett and Plympton Houses here came from the Benson Ford Research Center, located on the same campus as Greenfield Village.

Jennifer walks along the stream
that borders Mill Race Village

Our next stop in celebrating our Nation's birth: Historic Mill Race Village. Mill Race is located in the Detroit suburb of Northville and was initially created back in 1972 by the Northville Historical Society. It is built upon land donated to the City of Northville by the Ford Motor Company. Originally the site of the city's first gristmill (hence the name Mill Race), it is now home to 11 historic structures, all from the general surrounding area of Northville. Unfortunately, the original gristmill, built in 1827 - and its successor, built in 1847 - were razed nearly a hundred years ago. However, the 11 buildings now situated here have been beautifully preserved for future generations. If you have not been, you would do yourself well by visiting, and be prepared to be pleasantly surprised of the top quality this open-air museum is.
And it's here where, for the past two years, Citizens of the American Colonies members have celebrated Independence Day.
2017 was the first time my reenacting group came here for this birthday bash, which has been celebrated annually for decades, and there were less than a half-dozen of us, but we certainly had a wonderful time. You see, for Mill Race Village, Independence Day spans from the early colonies through the 20th century - a time-line - so we did fit in with the plan.
Well, after the great time last year, I knew that my group wanted to come back and do it again. However, this year was going to be different for me; my Citizens of the American Colonies group was, for the first time since forming in 2016, formally invited as living historians to help pay tribute to the founders of our great country.
Now, I have to tell you, after building this Independence Day event up for a few weeks on our Facebook page, I was so very excited and proud at how many members showed up - especially the numerous first-timers!

Ladies & Gentlemen, please meet the crazy and fun members of Citizens of the American Colonies (& friends).
Are we not excited to celebrate Independence Day at Mill Race Village?
You bet we are!!

After the day had ended, all said they had an amazing good time.
And, as Rae is pointing out in the picture below, we had our name on a large sign:

It was very kind of the good folks at Mill Race to allow Citizens of the American Colonies use of the Cady Inn, which was originally built around 1835 (according to the Mill Race guide book). Yeah...I know that 1835 is nearly 60 years into the future for us, but most inns/taverns from the 19th century can easily pass for a publick house of the 18th century, as you can see in the photos here.
Picture courtesy of Rae Bucher

Now, please understand, I realize that women and men, for the most part, did not usually mix and mingle inside of a tavern in the 18th century. But since we had a rather large showing of our group participate in this event, well, we certainly wanted to enjoy each other's company on such an occasion!

Taverns were the pulse of 18th century urban life, and their importance to the local community cannot be overstated. Taverns were also the main source of information for the locals. These "publick houses" (or 'ordinaries,' as they were also known) have played an important part in social, political, and even military life.

By the 1760s and 1770s, the ordinaries were the rendezvous for those who believed in the Patriot cause and listened to the stirring words of American rebels, who mixed dark treason to King George with every bowl of punch they drank. 

The story of our War for Independence could not be dissociated from the old taverns, for they are a part of our national history, and those which still stand are among our most interesting Revolutionary relics.

Charlotte is a long-time Civil War reenactor, but this was first time coming out as a colonial and she decided she wanted to be a tavern wench. She looked great! 

Toddy (hot toddy), flip, and other drinks were generously passed around until, tired and worn out from the long trip and long talks, the new arrivals gradually retired to their rooms.

Rae was one of the very first members of Citizens of the American Colonies. She was "in" from the first time I mentioned it to her nearly a year before I actually formed it. She came to our first meeting and also participated in our initial "outing" as a group. 

Susan has also been a participating member of our new group from very early on. By early 2017 she had her dress made and wore it at our second group meeting. 
Bob, who presents as Benjamin Franklin (pretty obvious, eh?), was present at that first meeting back in spring of 2016. Though he is a member of my group, as well as another, he reenacts many times as an independent. So he sorta has his hands in three different baskets, you might say! 
But we love having him a part of our Citizens group.

Lynn has been involved in history in various ways for many, many years, especially in historical fashion, which covers the gamut from early colonial through the 1970s, as well as reenacting. I was pleased when she mentioned that she was interested in presenting as Betsy Ross, the possible/probable first stars and stripes flag maker. She has been researching the widow Ross for quite some time and has her "pro" arguments ready for discussion, though she does agree that there is no positive proof either way.

Lynn was with me during my own first-time colonial outing back in 2014 when we went to Greenfield Village to celebrate Patriot's Day in April of that year, and though she was not at the first meeting of Citizens of the American Colonies, she did sign up as a member early on. However, this event just may have been her very first showing as an actual member!  

Set up in her own little spot near the fireplace of the Cady Inn, Lynn, as Betsy Ross, spent much of her time speaking to the public about the flag and her thoughts on the possible role Mrs. Ross played in the making of it.

General Washington inspects the flag to ensure it's as he intended.

As I have mentioned earlier, women, especially unaccompanied women, were generally not seen inside a tavern unless they were working.  

We'll just say that our ladies here were traveling with their husbands to witness a reading of some sort of declaration while a-waiting for the coach to arrive. 
All except Charlotte on the left, who works at the inn.

Heather also presented herself as a barmaid. This is her (I believe) 2nd outing as a member of our reenacting group. 

I had purchased replicated period 18th century coins to add to some of the realism. 
I would like to expand on this tavern scenario in hopes of making the Cady Inn come alive as a real 1770s-style ordinary at our next outing to Mill Race Village.

Here are a few of the period accessories I brought along to add to the air of authenticity, including playing cards, a game called "Shut the Box," a copy of the pamphlet "Common Sense," my 13 star flag, lantern, a clay pipe, and money.
Oh! There's my cocked hat and tankard, too..

So let us travel out among the villagers and see what all of the excitement is about.

Here I am with my good friend Jackie. Jackie is a long-time Civil War reenactor, and this was her very first time ever as a colonial. And she loved it!
Doesn't she look great?

As you may have read in my previous posting, a friend of mine presented himself as George Washington for the first time a few weeks back at Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne. Well, I was telling him about this 4th of July Mill Race event and do you want to know what he did? He drove from his home in Fort Wayne, Indiana all the way to Northville - around three hours! - to help us celebrate our colonial Independence Day!

Bob, who, as General Washington, came as my special guest, did a wonderful job interpreting as the Father of our Country. And, just like a few weeks back, visitors knew exactly who he was representing upon seeing him.
We also have my friend Karen, here. Karen belongs to the Ottawa Long Rifles reenacting group, but she is also a Citizens member as well and has come out with us a few times.
Then we have have my friend Tony, who heads up the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment.
In fact...
...my son Robbie is also part of Tony's unit.
A wealth of Revolutionary War knowledge...

So members and special guests of Citizens of the American Colonies spent the afternoon, roaming, mingling, and just generally became a part of the colonial populace of Mill Race Village. A long-time participant of this event said to me, "There has never been this level of 18th century participation all the years I've attended!"
That is a good thing, yes?

Imagine...strolling along a lane...and finding these two young ladies taking a breather from their day's chores...

Of which visiting with friends, on this sultry day, is of utmost priority!

Benjamin Franklin was much loved and respected, even in his own time, 
especially in France where he was like, what we would call, 
a rock star.
And yet he was popular here at home as well. 
The ladies spot Dr. Franklin!

And, of course, they swarm around him, a-waiting to hear his 
stories of science and of his time in France.

Of course, Dr. Franklin seems not to be too bothered by his admirers.

Notice that some of the pictures here have the B & K Photography watermark upon them...Beth and Kevin do an amazing job taking pictures at our reenactments - click the above link - and they have graciously allowed me to post them on my blog pages. A big THANK YOU to you both!

Sir! That is such a queer apparatus you have there!

Meet Amy and her daughter, Kylie. 
They, too, are new members to our organization and, like a few others on this day, are enjoying their first time out as colonials.

A Tale of Two Kens:
As we crossed the replicated Concord Bridge, we both could have sworn we saw Redcoats in the trees and brush.

To arms!
We guided the sites of our muskets to the spot where we had seen them...

Alas, it was not the King's Army as we had thought.
Lucky for them...
(though we did spot a member of the 42nd Highlanders milling about):

Now, how can you have an Independence Day celebration with a bunch of colonials and not have a reading of the Declaration of Independence?
The director of this event and I felt that way as well, so we worked out a plan to have this most important document read, but not just read by anyone - - nope----but to give the honors to one of the writers, Dr. Benjamin Franklin.
Since every picture tells a story, let's look at a few taken during the presentation and reading of the Declaration.
Yes, I do interpret as Paul Revere, and, yes, it's true that Mr. Revere had nothing to do with the actual Declaration of Independence.
So what the heck am I doing here with a copy of it?

Well, I am giving a little bit of a background of how it all came to be (which is explained HERE). I also show where, for the first time on any official document, we are now considering ourselves The United States of America.

This is a copy of the first printing printed by John Dunlap, who spent the afternoon and evening of July 4th and into July 5th typesetting and printing about 200 copies to be distributed throughout the colonies...and even to King George III in England!

I then introduced to the waiting public one of the writers of the Declaration, Dr. Benjamin Franklin:

Dr. Franklin began reading the opening lines:
"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another..."

And as he continued to read, he looked up to the audience and...

...began to carefully roll the document up as he continued to recite the words written by he, Jefferson, Adams, Livingston, and Sherman.
In other words, Dr. Franklin has the entire Declaration of Independence memorized!

When it came time for the twenty seven grievances against King George, Franklin gave General Washington the opportunity to read them: 

The History of the Present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. 

He has kept among us, in Times of Peace, Standing Armies, 

without the consent of our Legislature.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior 

to the Civil Power...

For quartering large Bodies of Armed Troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders 

which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World:

For imposing taxes on us without our Consent...

And the General continued until each grievance was read.

And then Franklin completed the recitation, ending with great applause and the stomping of feat by members of the audience.

In the photographs here we see only 18th century folk sitting in the seats, for we did a few posed shots, but there were many modern visitors in the audience as well, some hearing the Declaration in its entirety for the first time. It was easy to see they were moved by it. I believe I speak for most, if not all, of the members of Citizens of the American Colonies when I say this was a definite highlight of our Independence Day celebration.

So, as you can tell by the pictures, we had a wonderful time bringing the founding generation - the spirits of 1776 - back to life. And even better was hearing the excitement of so many who had never been to Mill Race Village to witness the Independence Day celebration here before, especially from my friends who had read my posts advertising it on Facebook and decided to come on a lark.

One of the things I enjoy doing, whether I am reenacting colonial or with my Civil War unit, is to take group pictures. This event at Mill Race has been the largest assembly of my Citizens of the American Colonies living history organization, and I am just so proud and happy that we made such a good showing. 

Strike a pose - - - - - - -

Heather and yours truly...

I see Lauren up front, and Ken & Susan
in the background

Rae and Jackie and Ken...with a bit of Bob and Lauren.

Amy's daughter, Kylie, my son Robbie, Rae, and Jackie up front,
and I see Bob (Washington) and a part of another Bob (Franklin) in back. 

And we had an absolutely fantastic time!

And here is our group picture!
All but three are bonafide members of the Citizens of the American Colonies (though one is considering joining). And of our members, nine are also Civil War reenactors.
I am so proud and happy to have such a turn out!

I certainly hope you enjoyed this journey to America's colonial past. Oh, I know I'm looking at the colonist's world through rose-colored glasses - it was a holiday - a celebration - and therefore we kept it on the lighter side. And on such a day I'm not going to reenact the past and be miserable, for I have my own era in which to do that! I want my time *there* to be more on the upbeat side of life.

Yet, we try to be accurate in what we teach and authentic in the way we teach it, utilizing the best we have at hand.
No matter what we do or how we do it, I hope to continue to improve in my attempts to recreate more realism in the things we do. I don't know...maybe we can work out doing strictly a colonial event at Mill Race Village sometime...and if so, you know I will announce it, so stay tuned!

Until next time, see you in time...

~   ~   ~

Besides the pictures taken with my camera, either by me or any number of other people (most notably Beth Roossien), I would like to give many thanks to the photographers who also contributed and allowed me to use their images to help illustrate this week's posting:

B & K Photography

and...
Cyndi Carlson
Charlotte Bauer

Lynn Anderson

Jennifer Long

Rae Bucher

More Independence Day postings of mine:
~The Printing of the Declaration of Independence HERE
Some of the unsung heroes of the Revolutionary War: the men who risked life and limb to typeset and print this broad side that declared independence from Kin George III

~The story behind the Declaration HERE
My visit with Dr. Benjamin Franklin and the stories he had to tell about how the Declaration of Independence came to be.

~Everyday Life for the Common Folk during the time of the Declaration HERE
A concise pictorial to everyday life in America's colonies. And I do mean "pictorial," for there are over 80 photos included, covering nearly every aspect of colonial life.
I try to touch on most major topics of the period with links to read more detailed accounts.
This just may be my very favorite of all my postings.

~Lexington & Concord from those who were there HERE
Diaries, journals, letters, newspapers/broadsides, remembrances...this is what I used to garner these very personal stories from those who were there - actual witnesses, men & women, of the Battle of Lexington & Concord.
Their tales will draw you into their world.

~Travel and Tavern Life HERE
The long air-conditioned (or heated) car ride. Motels without a pool! Can we stop at McDonalds? I'm hungry!
Ahhhh....modern travelers never had it so good.
I've always had a fascination of travel back in the day, and I decided to find out as much as I could about them.
I wasn't disappointed - - - I dug through my books, went to a historic research library, 'surfed the net' (does anyone say that anymore?), and asked docents who work at historic taverns questions, looking for the tiniest bits of information to help me to understand what it was like to travel and stay at a tavern in the colonial times.
This post is the culmination of all of that research, and it made me realize just how much our country's founding relied upon the tavern.

For a basic guide to purchase men's colonial clothing (and more), please check out my post called Clothing Fashion, Hair, and Language for the Colonial Man

One of the sources of information about Betsy Ross came from THIS site, as well as the book Betsy Ross and the Making of America by Marla Miller.
There are also a number of other reputable web sites available on the subject with the best giving both the pros and the cons on whether or not she did (since this post is not necessarily about Mrs. Ross, I have chosen to mostly supply the pros). To read a very good point/counter-point article, please click HERE.
Evaluate the circumstantial evidence
And to read a very good point/counter-point article, please click HERE

As for next year...

...please come out to Mill Race Village and pay the 
Citizens of the American Colonies a visit, won't you?

~   ~   ~

Unsung Patriots: The Printing of the Declaration of Independence

Happy Independence Day!

Something special happened over two centuries ago...

Thomas Jefferson first submitted his draft of the 
Declaration of Independence to 
John Adams and Benjamin Franklin because 
he especially valued their judgment.
(Picture taken from the HBO series  "John Adams")

I cannot think of another document more important to the United States of America than the Declaration of Independence.  No,  I haven't forgotten about the Constitution.  But without the Declaration there would be no Constitution.
This is why I try to actively celebrate and write about it,  in some form or another,  annually,  for the Declaration is  our liberty.  As is written in the context:  “We hold these truths to be self-evident,  that all men are created equal,  that they are endowed,  by their Creator,  with certain unalienable Rights,  that among these are Life,  Liberty,  and the pursuit of Happiness."  And, a number of years later,  in 1783,  Benjamin Franklin wrote:  "Where liberty dwells,  there is my country." 
This is why I have two framed copies of the Declaration of Independence hanging in my house:  one in my living room and one in my period parlor - one a printed copy from mid-July,  1776,  and the other a handwritten copy from later that month.
Two differing copies of the same thing...
So this year I thought I would write a post about the Declaration from a slightly different angle;  I want to give a little kudos to the men who originally printed out the broadsides to be sent out right off the presses for public reading back in that summer of 1776,  for they put their lives on the line as treasonists nearly as much as the signers did.

Let's begin with a quick overview of events leading up to the writing of the Declaration:
On June 7,  1776,  Richard Henry Lee,  a delegate to the Second Continental Congress,  presented a draft of a resolution that called for the Congress to declare a separation from British rule.
Understandably,  there was much hesitation;  should Congress again attempt some sort of reconciliation with the Mother Country,  or should they declare nationhood and risk the increased wrath of the British monarchy?
They were divided on the issue and discussion ensued.  It was three days later when they voted to postpone consideration of  Lee's resolution until July 1st,  1776.  On that date,  Congress would reopen the debate on the issue of independence.  Meanwhile,  a committee would be formed to draft a proposed declaration of independence.

The Committee of Five

It was a committee of five - Benjamin Franklin,  John Adams,  and Thomas Jefferson,  along with Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman - who had drafted the formal declaration to be ready when Congress voted.

Thomas Jefferson,  as the main writer of the document,  never claimed originality for the philosophy he embodied in what he had written.  It was an expression of the mind of the American patriots of that age and he was among the first of these.  In explaining his involvement, Jefferson said he was asked by the others in this committee to write the draft.  There appears to have been several meetings of the committee,  discussing the general character and form of the document,  including the idea of a government by consent based upon rights derived from natural law,  which was an ancient one.  But this theory of government in the Declaration of Independence was the first example in history in which a new nation erected its government  "of the people,  by the people and for the people."

Jefferson first submitted his draft to Adams and Franklin because he especially valued their judgment.  Suggestions of theirs were written in,  and the document was accepted by the full committee. 

The approval of this resolution for independence from Britain was passed on July 2 at the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia with no opposing vote cast.  And it was on that same day that the Pennsylvania Evening Post published this:  “This day the Continental Congress declared the United Colonies Free and Independent States.”
From that point,  we now considered ourselves to be a new nation.

Page 1 of John Adams' letter to Abigail

Page 2 of John Adams' letter to Abigail

The next day,  July 3,  John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail:  "The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha,  in the History of America.  I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated,  by succeeding Generations,  as the great anniversary Festival.  It ought to be commemorated,  as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Act of Devotion to God Almighty.  It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade with shews,  Games,  Sports,  Guns,  Bells,  Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of the Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."    

So why do we celebrate July 4th as Independence Day and not July 2nd as John Adams noted?
We do so because the Declaration of Independence itself was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4,  1776,  making it  "official."

Should we vote for independence or not?
(Picture taken from the HBO series  "John Adams")

Eighty six alterations were made to the draft of the Declaration before Congress approved the document on July 4^th,  1776.  Once approved,  the manuscript,  possibly Thomas Jefferson's  "fair copy"  of his rough draft,  was taken to printer John Dunlap that very afternoon to typeset and print copies.  John Dunlap,  the  "official printer to the Continental Congress,"  was born in Strabane,  Northern Ireland in 1746 and came to the American Colonies as a boy of ten.  He was apprenticed to his uncle William Dunlap,  a printer in Philadelphia,  whose shop was located near the corner of 2nd and Market Streets,  just blocks away from the State House  (Independence Hall),  and he took the business over from his uncle in 1766.  By 1771,  he printed a weekly newspaper,  "The Pennsylvania Packet or The General Advertiser."  
It was in 1776 that Dunlap was named printer to The Continental Congress.

An original version printed by John
Dunlap on the night of July 4,  1776.

And so it was on that historical day and date of the 4th of July in 1776 when Dunlap was commissioned to produce the first printed versions of the Declaration of Independence in that same Philadelphia shop once belonging to his uncle.  For the time he printed that day and well into the evening,  he was supervised by the drafting committee.  Dunlap continued working feverishly throughout the night,  printing approximately 200 broadsides so they could be posted,  read aloud,  and distributed to the thirteen states and elsewhere by couriers on July 5th to alert the citizenry of this momentous event in time.  As John Adams later wrote,  "We were all in haste."
A copy of the printed version of the approved Declaration was also inserted into the  "rough journal"  of the Continental Congress for the previous day.  The text was followed by the words  "Signed by Order and in Behalf of the Congress,  John Hancock,  President.  Attest.  Charles Thomson,  Secretary."

The first reading of the Declaration...July 5th, 1776 in Philadelphia.
(from the HBO miniseries  "John Adams")

Copies were also dispatched by members of Congress to various assemblies,  conventions,  and committees of safety as well as to the commanders of Continental Army.  In fact,  it was one of these Dunlap broadsides that was delivered to George Washington in New York to be read aloud to the troops:

"George Washington,  General Orders,  July 9,  1776~

The Hon.  The Continental Congress,  impelled by the dictates of duty,  policy and necessity,  having been pleased to dissolve the Connection which subsisted between this Country,  and Great Britain,  and to declare the United Colonies of North America,  free and independent States:  The several brigades are to be drawn up this evening on their respective Parades,  at Six O'Clock,  when the declaration of Congress,  shewing the grounds and reasons of this measure,  is to be read with an audible voice. 

The General hopes this important Event will serve as a fresh incentive to every officer,  and soldier,  to act with Fidelity and Courage,  as knowing that now the peace and safety of his Country depends  (under God)  solely on the success of our arms:  And that he is now in the service of a State,  possessed of sufficient power to reward his merit,  and advance him to the highest Honors of a free Country."

Painting by Mort Kunstler

As Washington's soldiers stood ready for the brigadiers and colonels of their regiments to read the Declaration of Independence,  they first heard the words written above by their commander followed by Jefferson's stirring words explaining that all men were created equal and endowed by their Creator with the inalienable rights of life,  liberty,  and the pursuit of happiness.

Down with King George!

The words were so moving that citizens who had heard the Declaration raced down Broadway toward a large statue of George III.  They toppled and decapitated it,   much in the same manner as you see in the picture to the left here,  and then later melting down the body for bullets that would be much needed in the coming battles to defend New York and the new nation that lay beyond it.

Of the many  "Dunlap broadsides”  of the Declaration that were printed on that most important of nights,  only twenty-five copies are known to exist today:  20 owned by American institutions,  including one which is currently housed at Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia that was donated to the park by the heirs of Colonel John Nixon,  the man appointed by the sheriff of Philadelphia to read the Declaration aloud in the State House yard on July 8,  1776.  Two others are now owned by British institutions,  and three by private individuals.
By setting the world-changing document in type,  John Dunlap placed himself in harm’s way as much as any delegate.

A modified Mort Kunstler painting 
to depict what it may have looked like while the 
Declaration of Independence was being printed.

It is romantic to think that Benjamin Franklin,  the greatest printer of his day,  was there in Dunlap’s shop to supervise,  and that Jefferson,  the nervous author,  was also close at hand.  If so,  the Declaration was not only written by the founders,  but perhaps set into type and printed by them as well.  In every way they could,  these ink-splattered geniuses willed the document — and by extension the republic — into existence.  We’ll never know for sure.  But as Franklin might have appreciated:  print the legend.

Over the next two days,  the Dunlap broadsides were sent around the colonies — now states — and to dignitaries like George Washington,  who ordered the Declaration read to his troops.  A copy was also sent,  as it had to be,  to England,  where the news was received with considerably less enthusiasm.  These first printings may look less dramatic than the manuscript we know and love,  but they were created closer to the germinal moment than anything known to exist.
(From the New York Times)

Okay...yes...this is me at an ancient printing press.  I am not sure 
just how ancient,  but considering it is a printing press inside 
historic Greenfield Village pretty much says it's old.

The Dunlap copies,  by the way,  do not carry the same title of unanimity as the original engrossed copy due to New York's abstention until July 9th.  Instead,  the Dunlap copies carry the title  "In Congress July 4,  1776,  A Declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America in General Congress Assembled."

Here we see the opening of the original printing of the Declaration,  originally stamped as 
a broadside by printer John Dunlap on July 4,  1776 under Jefferson's supervision.  These 
broadsides were not signed,  though John Hancock's name was large in print.
The full engrossed copy so well known seen below was made later and was the version 
famously signed by the delegates.

Note the opening lines of the two versions differ.

We are now unanimous!
This is the print of which was signed  (mostly)  on 
August 2,  1776

(handwriting courtesy of  John Matlack)

When the Dunlap copy of the Declaration arrived in Boston about July 15,  printer John Gill,  a patriot and publisher who was also a leading advocate of American colonial independence from Britain,  set it in type the following day and had it ready for distribution on the 18th,  where it was was read from the balcony of the Old State House for the first time.  Large crowds gathered to hear the address.

Only three copies from this John Gill edition have survived. 

Partners in printing,  John Gill and Benjamin Edes were who I consider part of that large group of unsung patriots.  Known for the increasingly anti-British,  pro-independence stance of their publications as well as for their Boston Gazette weekly paper,  Gill and Edes were for some time official printers to the colonial government of Massachusetts.  However,  their propaganda activities cost them the appointment;  Edes helped to form the Sons of Liberty and,  through the Boston Gazette,  agitated against the Stamp Act,  the Townshend Acts and the tea tax.  The newspaper broke news about tax disputes,  the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party:  on Dec. 16,  1773,  Benjamin Edes hosted a group of men in the print shop before they set out for the three ships in the harbor called the Dartmouth,  the Eleanor,  and the Beaver,  to participate in what became known as the Boston Tea Party.
His son,  Peter,  who would turn 17 the next day,  saw some of what happened.  In a letter to his own grandson in 1836,  Peter Edes recounted what he remembered of that event:
"I knew but little about it,  as I was not admitted into their presence,  for fear,  I suppose,  of their being known,"  he wrote.
In 1775 Edes left Boston.

The type is set for the Boston edition
of the Declaration
(Pictures courtesy of the
 Printing Office of Edes and Gill)

John Gill stayed on,  and he was arrested by the British and charged with publishing  “treason,  sedition,  and rebellion.”  After the Declaration of Independence,  Gill resumed publishing a newspaper alone,  under the title Continental Journal and Weekly Advertiser.  This,  however,  was but a pale shadow of the radical and rambunctious Gazette.  He also was restored as official printer,  this time to the state.

Now,  as for Boston's  first printing of the Declaration of Independence,  we find only one original copy of the Gill version still exists and was located in the collection of the Bostonian Society by Gary Gregory, founder and Shop Master of the recreated Edes & Gill printing shop as well as the company known as The History List.  Gary then had all 9.000 characters of type meticulously cast in lead to match the original document.

This true recreation was then printed by hand at the historic Printing Office of Edes and Gill on July 3^rd  2012,  on the ancient Wooden Common Press using 100%  Cotton Linen,  Very-Fine Crane Laid paper,  marking the first time since July 1776  that anyone had printed the Boston Broadside of the Declaration of Independence. 
Opening its doors to the public in 2011,  the new version of the Printing Office of Edes & Gill is considered Boston’s only printer still doing the job in the old colonial ways,  and is located in the historic Clough House,  built in 1712,  and is part of the Old North Church Historic Site in Boston.

An exact replication of the Gill version of the Declaration.

(The new Printing Office of Edes & Gill,  by the way,  is non-profit 50(c)3 corporation funded entirely by donations,  gifts,  and the sale of materials printed on their historic press)  

A little bit on colonial printers and their occupation:

The folks who lived in the later colonial period were more remarkably informed than many give them credit for.  Like the tavern from that time,  the printing office was a center of local and imperial communications.  The broadsides and newspapers provided a way to exchange information and events between the thirteen colonies,  keeping people informed of major events,  influenced public opinion,  and,  as you have just read,  played a significant part in the decision to declare independence from Great Britain. 

Printers,  in many cases,  had to make their own paper - not an easy process - and though the paper production took several months,  the result was a quality that can last for five hundred years.

Many printers by mid-century used a popular typeface  (font)  called Caslon.  William Caslon I was an English gunsmith and designer of typefaces.  Around 1720 he created an extended set of serif typefaces known as Caslon. Benjamin Franklin,  who,  as you know,  was a printer himself,  liked the Caslon fonts so much that he hardly ever used any other typeface.  Ironically,  most of the type used by John Dunlap to compose the Declaration of Independence was likely from the Caslon type foundry – a British company,  and later  “letter-founder to the King.”  In fact,  the 1785 Caslon specimen book was even dedicated to King George III – the same King that the American colonists were declaring independence from!

It was also in the colonial period where we find that confusing  "long S"  - you know...the  's'  that looks like an  'f'?

See the long S?

Let's be honest - unless one is used to reading 250 year old documents,  American colonial handwriting and printing can look strange to many.  But if you want to understand or imitate colonial handwriting,  then using those long S's correctly is the most obvious thing to understand.  In colonial printing  'fonts,'  one can easily tell the  "s"  from a printed  "f"  by the little cross-bar being only on the left-hand side,  or may not be there at all.  In colonial handwriting,  the  "long s"  is written like an  "f,"  except the bottom loop is written clockwise instead of counter-clockwise. 

By the way,  the  "long s"  wasn't used randomly.  

Here are the rules for when to use it or help to understand how it's used in colonial handwriting:
Use the  "long s"  at the beginning and middle of words,  but use the regular  "s"  for the last letter of a word.
If there are two s's together,  use the  "long s"  for the first one and the regular  "s"  for the second one.  Use the regular  "s"  before and after the letter  "f"  (the real letter "f"!)
Use the regular  "S"  whenever the  "S"  is uppercase,  like at the beginning of a sentence.
Here is an original example of the colonial style of writing:
It's really not too difficult.  It just takes a little getting used to.
So,  for an idea of how a colonial printer's shop,  such as the ones owned by Dunlap or Gill,  worked to prepare to print,  the following,  taken from the Colonial Williamsburg pamphlet  "The Apprentice,"  explains what it was like in an easy and concise manner:

The compositor  (one who sets the type for printing)  took one letter  (or character)  at a time from the cases in which the type was stored to create the words & sentences on a composing stick.  When a paragraph was completed,  he transferred it to a wooden tray called a galley.  The type would then be slid onto a flat,  marble stone and secured the type in an iron frame called a chase.  The prepared type would then be carefully carried to the printing press.  If he accidentally dropped the chase,  many hours of work would be lost.

One of the printers being used to recreate authentic replications of 
Gill's Boston edition of the Declaration of Independence.
(Picture courtesy of the Printing Office of Edes and Gill)

A worker called the beater would then rub two leather-covered balls with ink made of linseed oil,  pine resin,  and soot.  The puller would then give a good, strong smooth yank on the bar of the press to force the paper onto the inked type below. 

Working together,  the beater and the puller could print 
200 sheets in an hour.
(Picture courtesy of the Printing Office of Edes and Gill)

It was painstakingly setting the type that took the longest for the printer.

I can only imagine what the colonial printer would think of our printing process today.

I was so impressed that copies of the Declaration were bring 
printed individually on a period printing press, 
that I naturally purchased a copy for myself.
(Above picture courtesy of the Printing Office of Edes and Gill)

It now hangs framed in my parlor...

...where everyone can see it!

By the way,  The History List/Printing Office of Edes and Gill has a fine video showing the printing of the Declaration on the old press just as would have been done in July of 1776.
To see it,  please click HERE.

And finally,  let's talk a little about Timothy Matlack,  of Pennsylvania,  for there is a consensus that it was  “probably”  he,  an appointed clerk to the secretary of the Second Continental Congress,  who hand wrote the most famous signed copy of the Declaration of Independence on parchment paper later in July to be signed by members of Congress.  Incidentally,  Matlack also wrote George Washington’s 1775 commission.

Tim Matlack’s document is usually referred to as the  “engrossed”  copy.  If you’ve never heard the term,  it is commonly used to describe official,  often legal,  documents such as deeds and commissions.  More specifically,  it denotes a document written in a clear,  formal hand,  meant to be the authoritative copy.  And authoritative the engrossed Declaration is.

This is the handwritten version we see most frequently,  with the signatures of the 56  "treasonous"  men across the bottom. 

The John Matlack  "engrossed"  copy,  hand-written and signed -
the most famous version of the Declaration of Independence. 

One of the very cool things we,  as living historians,  get to do is read the Declaration of Independence as if it were recently hand-delivered via a courier...all the while wearing our period clothing in doing so:

I,  along with a couple other Patriots,  had the privilege of reading 
the Declaration at a reenactment in Fort Wayne,  Indiana.
It was an honor. 

I annually try to post something to do with the anniversary of the birth of our nation either on or around July 4th,  for it is such an important and great holiday for all Americans.
Yeah...my patriotic pride is showing...but I have always been patriotic - even as a young child.  Now as an adult I research and study deep and intense the life and times of our founding generation.  Oh,  I do find discrepancies here and there,  and it's then I will attempt to look at the whole picture rather than what the current trend may be  (I try not to use modern politics or thought in making my decisions).

Time to settle down and read about this Independence thing...
(My own little vignette I set up at my desk)

Anyhow,  I hope you enjoyed today's post,  and if maybe you learned something new,  as I did while researching it,  then all the better.

Until next time,  see you in time.

Other related postings of mine you might like:

The 18th Century Printing Trade...and Just What The Heck Is That Long "S" About Anyhow?
With Liberty & Justice For All
Paul Revere
Life in Colonial Times
Boston Massacre
Battle of Lexington & Concord
Declaring Independence
Turn: The Original Culper Spy Ring

Some of the sources for this posting came from a few respected internet links,  including George Washington's Mount Vernon, World Digital Library,  and The History List.   Also,  I gleaned other bits from a variety of books on my shelf,  including the Colonial Williamsburg pamphlet  "The Apprentice."
The source for the type of typeface used in printing the Declaration came from HERE

And,  for one of the best filmed versions of the founding of our nation ever made,  please click HERE

~   ~   ~