Happy Surrender Day!
Two nations, united by common colourways in their flags…
This New York Times article says that all the best ideas of the founding fathers were actually drawn from British law and traditions. I would not like to comment on the truth or relevance of this, in case anyone holds me responsible, but a brief summary is:
1. Fireworks: apparently these were already an annual tradition, on the June 4th birthday of King George III. So “the ritual was cleverly rebranded” for July 4th instead. Although, had they failed to do this, I doubt anyone would have argued, “Bring back the British! We really miss the firework display!”
2. The Declaration of Independence is largely based on a pre-existing British document, the 1689 English Bill of Rights, which is full of grievances against the then exiled King James II so sets the legal document precedent for getting rid of monarchs.
3. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is based on British common law principles of life, liberty and property. There’s something about the happiness part being based on British constitutional principles, but the UK has no written constitution, so everyone has now completely forgotten whatever those principles were anyway.
I don’t know if anyone will be in town shopping tomorrow morning, but if you don’t expect to be having a barbecued breakfast on the lakeside, please do join us at Sunset Valley any time after 9am. And happy July 4th, whatever title you prefer to give it!
It’s not only entirely possible but also probable. “The Spectator” talks about the Declaration of Independence without qualification but America didn’t make all this up out of whole cloth; it comes from somewhere.
The English, of course, but also we stand on the shoulders of the Romans and the Greeks.
Only Obama sprang, like Minerva, fully formed, from Jupiter’s head.