As we enter into this week of celebrations, gatherings, and parties to celebrate our country's 234th birthday, let us take a moment and remember what was really involved back then. As most of us are aware, the "Declaration of Independence" was approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776. What did that mean? It meant that the 13 colonies under the rule of King George III and Parliament were declaring their independence to separate from the greatest empire of that time, to establish governments for the individual states and a collective government or confederation that bound them all as a new nation.
It also meant that a mechanism or plan was needed to support an army to oppose the King’s troops who were sent to stop this rebellion or revolution. This mechanism was established earlier through establishing militias, committee’s of safety, and community support. Documentation shows us that women’s groups formed to make shirts, stockings and mittens to be sent to the army. Local militia’s continued to form and train to defend their territories.
In fact, Congress established a, “Board of War”, days after the resolution for Independency was introduced. This committee/board was indirectly started a year earlier. Congress unanimously voted for George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775. The Board of War and ordinance was officially created on June 12, 1776. Two of the members of this committee also served on the committee chartered to draw up the “Declaration of Independence.”
Support was requested by the congress for both the War for Independence and the “Declaration of Independence”. And it is best stated with the words from this most famous document:
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this 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.
Today, support is still needed. Support of our troops, support of our families, support of each other. But also include in that list, support of our historical sites. For these sites will hold onto the history of the events that happened there. I say this because those of us familiar with Fort Mifflin, can not find the history of this site in history text books. If it is, it is brief. Research of the armies and navies involved in the action, that took place on the Delaware River in 1777, have provided books from contemporary historians. Yet we are still at a loss as to what took place on a day to day basis. Some of this is coming through by finding diaries and recollections of the men that served in October through November. Research also has provided what took place during the reconstruction and the use of the facility as a military base into the 20th century. Yet without the structures, the story of the Fort cannot be contained for future generations to see what took place here and why it took place here. Support is provided in many ways and I applaud those that are active and what you have done to help sustain the site. Yet during this week of celebration we need to remember and think on what several hundred men on a small muddy island in the fall of 1777 did to support their brothers, families, congress, the united States, and most importantly your and mine freedoms.
