We owe it to our kids and the guys in powdered wigs

I don’t know what the weather was like on the 2^nd day of July 1776, but I am sure the fellows gathered at Independence Hall in Philly were sweating a bit. 

Young Thomas Jefferson earlier had written the first draft of document, then it was turned over to the older guys Ben Franklin and John Adams for edits. Seems that any time you write anything to go on record, there’s always going to be somebody to change a word here and there. Editing is the world’s second oldest profession, though it pays less.

But on that day, the Declaration of Independence was signed by members of the Continental Congress. John Hancock was the first to step forward and place his large, well-known signature on the document. The irrepressible Massachusetts stalwart is reported to have said, “There, I guess King George will be able to read that.” Eventually the cagy monarch would and so would others around the world.

Though the document was signed, there was much political wrangling and deal-making behind the scenes among the colonies. It wasn’t until two days later this bold statement was a done deal. They didn’t have e-mail or authorized PDFs back then. But they had enough to make it public.

And that’s when the proverbial writ hit the fan.

In its totality, it was a short statement prefaced by the words, When, in the course of human events… We know – or should know – the basics of what follows. You say you wanna revolution? Well, you know, the 56 guys who put their names on it wanted to change the world in their area of North America. Unlike most other insurrections and uprisings, the signers were men of wealth, property, influence, close relations and friendships with the powers-that-be across the Atlantic.

They were in it for the long haul with England, come what may, as expressed in the closing line of the Declaration: “…with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”  I reckon those fellows in the powdered wigs were willing to roll the dice.

And they had signed their own death warrants.

They were the “1 Percenters” of their day who were hoping to gain a nominal percentage of the oppressed and toiling to join them. To see that despite their differences, they had a common and noble cause. No easy task, and certainly there was no unanimous buy-in. We know how it all turned out, but the story line took so many twists and near-defeats along the way.

This was the first trimester in the birth of a nation, 236 years ago. The second trimester would arrive in episodes: the wrangling and writing of the U.S. Constitution; the continuous bickering between the states; and the writhing agony of the real American Revolution that ended in April 1865.

We continue to feel the post-partum pains in so many ways. But the child has been born and it is up to us to nurture it continually. The future awaits.

We are obligated to instill these things in our children and grandchildren. And we owe it to those privileged and poor 236 years ago who conceived this nation.