July 4, 2007 3:50 PM
Independence Day - teaching kids what it's really all about
From me to you on Independence Day:
Maddy singing the National Anthem. (I asked her to do this this morning, so it is not professional - just recorded on her MP3 player.)
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Also, Tripp gave the family a devotional/history lesson about the writing of the Declaration of Independence and how the delegates to the Constitutional Convention found themselves in a hopeless human tangle until they decided - at Ben Franklin's suggestion - to place their undertaking under God's control:
delivered Thursday, June 28, 1787, Philadelphia, PAMr. President:
The small progress we have made after 4 or five weeks close attendance & continual reasonings with each other -- our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own wont of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed Modern States all round Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances.
In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with G. Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the Divine Protection. -- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance.
I have lived, Sir, a long time and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall be become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.
I therefore beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.
Benjamin Franklin
(from the Online Speech Bank)
I love when Tripp does this kind of thing - with our children and grandchildren together, it is really very powerful. Our hope is that they will carry on this tradition. We joined in singing patriotic hymns and prayed for our country. Tripp concluded with this:
The Price They Paid Author UnknownHave you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the revolutionary army, another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the revolutionary war.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners, men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers or both, looted the properties of Ellery,Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution.These were not wild eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
Isn't that amazing? I cannot emphasize enough that if you want you r children to have a cultural heritage - an understanding that our country was built on godly principles - you must take care to transmit this to them as you cannot count on public schools.
When I was a little girl we learned every verse of My Country, Tis of Thee and O Beautiful, for Spacious Skies. Nowadays being patriotic is considered suspect. We must keep the American dream alive in our children's hearts. Independence Day (now referred to as the Fourth of July) is not just a day for fellowship, food and fireworks, although those are all very nice too :)
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Comments
just listened to maddy singing. got goosebumps! thanks so much for sharing.
Posted by: deborah | July 4, 2007 5:42 PM
Thank you for posting Maddy singing the National Anthem. I've been wondering what her voice sounds like, and she is amazingly talented! Have a Happy 4th!
Posted by: Kathy F. | July 4, 2007 6:13 PM
Thank you for reprinting this. It is so important to remember.
Posted by: Barb | July 4, 2007 6:35 PM
Really enjoyed reading about this piece of history. I have to confess that although I've heard of Independence Day, I really didn't know the details that lay behind it. To be truthful, I daydreamed in History class at school - I absolutely hated it. It's only recently, since I started home educating that I'm learning more about it along with my children. Schools I went to only told you the History they wanted you to hear & from a particularly biased point of view.
Dorothy
Posted by: dorothy | July 4, 2007 6:47 PM
Maddy~
That was absolutely beautiful! So pure and powerful. Thank you very much for singing for us!
Happy 4th!
Beth
Posted by: Beth | July 4, 2007 10:45 PM
Wow! That was truly beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: tiffany | July 4, 2007 11:16 PM
Maddy,
how nice to finally hear the voice we hear so much about. I remember when we met at one of your moms speaking engagements I said something of my hopes of hearing you sing. It was beautiful. thanks for sharing your voice with us.
Janet
Posted by: janet | July 5, 2007 12:27 AM
I LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear Maddy sing! Thanks for posting this. :)
Kathy
Posted by: Kathy in VA | July 6, 2007 3:18 PM
