History sure isn’t what it used to be. Take July 4 for example. When I studied the American Revolution back in the 1960s, it was the story of a feisty group of colonists rising up against a bunch of clueless British bureaucrats. There was George Washington’s heroic crossing of the Delaware, Paul Revere’s epic ride, and Betsy Ross’s hand knitted flag. Our poorly equipped rag-tag militia was able to defeat the British because the British wore red uniforms and marched in formation, while we hid behind trees and picked them off one by one. That was the history I learned, but in the 1980’s historians began to poke holes in the history we thought we knew. It turns out that a lot of what we learned was based on legends that had been embellished through the years. We learned that only a minority of colonists joined the Revolutionary Army. Almost as many joined the British Army. The British knew as much about guerilla warfare as did the colonists. Paul Revere and Ethan Allen were both accused of treason, and the story of Betsy Ross knitting the first American flag was invented by her granddaughter. Although the rallying cry for revolution may well have been “No taxation without representation,” taxes actually went up after the Americans took over.

Fast forward a few years, and a new generation of historians began to explore what the Revolutionary War was like from the perspective of ordinary people. We have the speeches of the Founding Fathers and the unmistakable signature of John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence; but what was it like to be a soldier in Washington’s Army? What was it like to be the wife of a soldier in Washington’s Army? What scraps of information could we find to enlighten us about their experience. And then there were all the other marginalized groups that were certainly around, but never heard from in traditional history books. How did the revolution impact the institution of slavery? How did it impact American Indians? The more voices we are able to hear, the more complex the picture becomes. In fact, the Spirit of 1776 begins to feel less like a massive uprising for freedom and more like our own times—often confusing and contradictory and divided along party lines.

So, as we prepare to celebrate our 250^th birthday, it is probably helpful to know that the march to independence was not a clear choice, but a series of hard decisions. Perhaps for some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, their hand shook as they placed their name on the document. What I am getting myself into? What am I getting the people from my state into? Whether everyone was on board for the revolution or not, the document they produced was certainly revolutionary. Our nation would be ruled not by kings or bishops or nobles or dictators or tyrants but by ordinary people. People could be trusted to rise to the occasion if given the opportunity. In other words, it was a declaration of dependence as much as it was a declaration of independence. That is still the recipe for making it work. It was also a work in progress. When we boldly claimed that all people are created equal, we really only meant white male property owners. But it was revolutionary nonetheless, and it set off a string of revolutions around the world.

Until 1931 the United States did not have an official national anthem. The Star Spangled Banner had been proposed, but it was not popular with many in Congress, since it did not highlight our nation’s finest moment, and it was unpopular with singers because it was so difficult to sing. But in 1931, when our country was reeling from the Great Depression and President Hoover had his hands full and did not need another controversy, he reluctantly signed off on the bill. Prior to that, though, our unofficial national anthem had been America the Beautiful. It speaks not about a military victory but about how fortunate we are to live in a land not only beautiful but rich in resources. It asks God to mend our every flaw. In other words, it is a song that invites us to be more humble and more grateful. God has indeed blessed us with spacious skies and purple mountain majesties and amber waves of grain. It truly is a beautiful country in which to live, if we just take care of it and take care of one another. And it is certainly not much of a stretch to see that as God’s will for us as we celebrate our 250^th birthday. Independence Day is a glorious day to celebrate our dependence on God.

Fr. Joe