Brief History of Independence Day, Where Patriotism Stand Today

Happy 4th of July to the greatest country on earth. I can’t tell you how much I love being an American, so it is only fair that today’s newsletter is celebrating her. Here is a little history on our independence:

The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.

Something very interesting about the holiday is that two of our Founding Fathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4th, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the adoption of The Declaration of Independence. I think that settles whether Independence Day should be celebrated on the 2nd or 4th, since apparently John Adams refused to celebrate it on the 4th.

As for where we are today, America is in a tough spot by attacks from the left to tear down everything this country stands for. Patriotism is still shown across much of the country, especially the South or middle America. But, that spirit of love of country in my opinion is not there as it once was, mainly due to attacks from the radical left. Let’s check out polling from Gallup in 2022 on American Patriotism. As you can see in the chart below, the extremely proud and very proud together has declined from 87% in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks down to 65% in 2022.

Now on to party breakdown. It is no surprise that Republicans historically with this poll have had a much higher level of Patriotism, reaching 86% in 2003 and 76% at the height of the Trump presidency in 2019, now down to 58% with Uncle Joe in office. Even Democrats level of Patriotism has dropped to 26% after bumping up to 31% when Joe was installed. Even though Republicans have a higher level of American pride, Democrats stayed above 45% until recent times and as high as 65% in 2003. I do remember, it did not matter if you were left, right or in the middle, there was a sense of pride from everyone. The division today makes it look like there is only one group who truly loves America an one side who hates everything we stand for and even gets offended by the flag!

Here is what Gallup had to say on the matter:

“Although Americans' national pride is at or near historical lows, depending on the measure, a majority of U.S. adults remain proud to be an American. This dimension of patriotism has been subject to change throughout the years, depending on a variety of factors, including the popularity of the sitting president, the health of the economy, and high-profile national events such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In recent years, all party groups have become less inclined to say they are proud of their country, which may reflect deepening political divisions and party gridlock in Washington, as well as national challenges regarding race relations, COVID-19 policies and inflation.”

Spot on. I think most Americans who pay attention to what is goin on in DC, are not proud of the job they are doing no matter what side you are on and Joe Biden’s approval is not great among left, center or right. We witnessed deep divisions among party lines in the Covid mania. Red states were more about personal freedom, opening up their economies and ridding mask mandates sooner while blue states had more government control. People also voted with their feet, fleeing to Republican run states to get away from the tyranny in Democrat states such as Michigan and California.

One thing remains true, America has faced challenges in the past and we always come out on the other side better. Things may seem tough and a little discouraging at times but as Rush Limbaugh always said, “it is never time to panic” because America is worth fighting for, we will always face challenges. So wear your red white and blue and keep the American spirit alive!

Get 25% of ALL Mixed Texan products 7/4 only!