The real reason we celebrate July 4th isn't because of Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence. It's because of a stocky Bostonian lawyer named John Adams. He delivered an impromptu pivotal speech (on July 2, 233 years ago) to the sweltering Continental Congress back in early July of 1776. The group was bickering yes, no, yes, no, about going to war with England or not.

     Then, Adams, the group curmudgeon, spoke with spellbinding passion and impeccable reason in favor of independence. And it was done. The colonies united, and a nation unlike any other in history was born.
 
     We exist because of an unrecorded, undocumented speech that turned the known world upside down.

     Never, ever underestimate the power of the spoken word.
                                        
                              Happy 4th of July!

 

 

                
Alex. B. Ramsey                                              July 2, 2009