John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence is a 12-by-18-foot oil-on-canvas painting in the United States Capitol Rotunda that depicts the presentation of the draft of the Declaration of Independence to Congress. It was based on a much smaller version of the same scene, presently held by the Yale University Art Gallery. Trumbull painted many of the figures in the picture from life and visited Independence Hall as well to depict the chamber where the Second Continental Congress met. The oil-on-canvas work was commissioned in 1817, purchased in 1819, and placed in the rotunda in 1826.
As we prepare for another July 4th celebration, think about this sad statistic:
26 Percent Of Americans Don’t Know U.S. Declared Independence From Great Britain | According to a new poll by Marist, more than a quarter of Americans couldn’t correctly identify the country from which the United States declared its independence. While 74 percent correctly named Great Britain, 20 percent said they weren’t sure and six percent named other countries. In the South, 32 percent of respondents either responded incorrectly or weren’t sure. The poll comes on the heels of test scores that showed few American students gaining proficiency in U.S. history, a problem presidential candidate Rick Santorum blamed on the “conscious effort” by “the left” to keep Americans uninformed. (HT: The Hotline’s Steve Shepard)
I am happy to report that the highest literacy on this question was in the Northeast region of the country (84% got it correct). Sadly, the least literate was in the South (32% did not know the answer).
What has happened to this country that its people do not know or do not care to know its most basic history. I don't know the statistics, but are there more home-schoolers in the south than in the northeast? Anyone?
Boston will be celebrating the 4th with its traditional reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Old State House at 10 am on July 4, a tradition that has continued since the day the DoI arrived in Boston, July 18, 1776.
I hope everyone has a safe, happy holiday.
John Adams' famous letter of July 3, 1776, in which he wrote to his wife Abigail what his thoughts were about celebrating the Fourth of July is found on various web sites but is usually incorrectly quoted. Following is the exact text from his letter with his original spellings:
"The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not." (The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784, Harvard University Press, 1975, 142).
13 comments:
I'm not positive about there being more Home Schoolers in the South, but I tend to believe you are correct about that.
I am originally from New England. I lived there from Birth to my mid 30's.
The Public Schools up North do a much, much better job than in the South. It was so crazy when we moved here, how far advanced my children were than their peers.
One huge difference is that there are "Christian" Private Schools on every street corner, as well as Mega-Churches. Of course, they are all right wing.
I still have an 11 yr old son. He was picked from his class last year ( a token poor person) to go to Summer Camp for three days. I figured, it's only three days, how bad could it be??
It was bad. All they did was to instill fear into him. Along with regular things you do at camp, they talked of nothing else except religion, how Satan was always after everyone, how you better do as they say or you'll burn in hell, etc.
This is how they raise generations of neo-cons.
My son will NEVER, ever go back to any religious based Summer Camp. We are not religious, we don't attend any churches. But those three days of camp for my son took me more than SIX months to make him realize it is all bullshit.
The South also cuts public school money to the bone. If you compare the Public Schools from the North & South side by side, you would think you were in another Country entirely.
Most home schools, at least in "God's Country," are for religious purposes only but not all. Some h.s. because of learning/physical disabilities.But, in general, you're right mary b, says I who grew up in the South and made the mistake of returning to it.
Am getting ready to post my July 4th piece and will link to this excellent piece.
Here is a site for stats by state. The trouble is, so many of these places are homeschooling orgs with their own agendas.
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/weblinks/numbers.htm
"It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."
Seems he was right about everything but the date.
Here are pertinent dates regarding the Declaration of Independence:
The text of the Declaration of Independence appears in the Journals of the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
Additional references to the Declaration of Independence can be found in the Journals of the Continental Congress on the following dates in 1776:
■June 7 - Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution urging Congress to declare independence from Great Britain.
■June 11 - Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston were appointed to a committee to draft a declaration of independence.
■June 28 - A fair copy of the committee draft of the Declaration of Independence was read in Congress.
■July 1-4 - Congress debated and revised the Declaration of Independence.
■July 2 - Congress declared independence by adopting the Lee Resolution.
[Adams was referring to this in his note on how to celebrate Independence.]
■July 4 - Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.
■July 4 - Congress ordered that the Declaration of Independence be printed (Dunlap Broadsides).
■July 19 - Congress ordered the Declaration of Independence engrossed (officially inscribed) and signed by members.
■August 2 - The engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence was signed by most of the delegates. Elbridge Gerry, Oliver Wolcott, Lewis Morris, Thomas McKean, and Matthew Thornton all signed on a later date.
i can think of no greater handicap for a child than being home schooled. rather than gleaning knowledge from a myriad of teachers and fellow students they are forced learn from a single person who is probably bigoted and narrow minded.
:-) Happy Fourth. That is a sad statistic!
When your only sources are FoxNews and Conservapedia,
you're quite limited.
Happy Fourth Of July to you.
This is an excellent post and I wish that all those politicians who claim this is a Christian Nation had to read it (along with the ignorant people who believe it.)
Thanks for posting the truth.
happy 4th to all!
Indeed a very sad and disgraceful statistic.
However, I am not surprised by it as when I was in high school, and later as I studied history in college many, if not most found my fascination and love of history foolish and thought it useless.
I am sure some of those individuals later became teachers.
To place the blame as Santorum did is both foolish and non productive. Lets find a way to fix the problem.
PS: Thanks for posting this Shaw, and have A Wonderfully Patriotic Indepemdence Day!
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