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While Independence Day has always been celebrated on July 4, the holiday could have easily been named the Second of July, according to the documentation.

From the beginning, Independence Day has been feted on July 4, which is the date on the Declaration of Independence.

But just as no job is complete without the paperwork, the Continental Congress passed a resolution on July 2 calling for the legal separation of the 13 colonies from England. Lost in the mystery of history is the story why the Declaration of Independence was postdated.

The draft was presented by Richard Henry Lee on June 7 and emphatically seconded by John Adams, future president and signer of the historic document.

The vote was pushed back and Lee was denied the spotlight given Thomas Jefferson, as his draft was not reported in the newspapers or in the public record

Documentation of the resolution passing was marked in a letter from John Adams to his wife Abigail. Adams said that July 2 “will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America.”

“I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great Anniversary Festival,” he wrote.

“It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty, solemnized with pomp and parade, shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other from this time forward.”

And as we take off Monday, let’s rejoice in the power to reinvent ourselves as an army of shopkeepers and farmers who once seized their destiny and defied a world juggernaut. In this time of national challenges, we should fully embrace our origins and go forward united in purpose.

Anyhow, for someone who’s 234 years-old, Lady Liberty looks pretty good. Give or take a couple of days.

Embark wishes you a safe and happy Fourth of July. After the holiday weekend, call us for all your tree, floral and pest control needs at 713-462-3261 or find us on the web at www.embarkservices.com